The doctrine of creation is a central tenet of the Christian faith. It is found in the first pages of the Bible (Genesis 1:1-31) and enshrined in the ecumenical creeds of the Church, such as the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. This conference will explore this doctrine as it is presented in Scripture and tradition. It will also examine the place of this doctrine in the Church’s theology and worship, and its significance for Christianity’s dialogue with the natural sciences and the current ecological crisis.
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Dr Lim K Tham
Speakers: Mr Isaac Wong, Dr Lim K Tham, Dr Robert Sears, Rev Dr Andrew Peh
Date: 3 Oct 2020 Time: 10am – 12.45pm
Venue: ZOOM
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Rev Dr Andrew...
The doctrine of creation is a central tenet of the Christian faith. It is found in the first pages of the Bible (Genesis 1:1-31) and enshrined in the ecumenical creeds of the Church, such as the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. This conference will explore this doctrine as it is presented in Scripture and tradition. It will also examine the place of this doctrine in the Church’s theology and worship, and its significance for Christianity’s dialogue with the natural sciences and the current ecological crisis.
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Dr Lim K Tham
Speakers: Mr Isaac Wong, Dr Lim K Tham, Dr Robert Sears, Rev Dr Andrew Peh
Date: 3 Oct 2020
Time: 10am – 12.45pm
Venue: ZOOM
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Dr Robert Sears
The doctrine of creation is a central tenet of the Christian faith. It is found in the first pages of the Bible (Genesis 1:1-31) and enshrined in the ecumenical creeds of the Church, such as the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. This conference will explore this doctrine as it is presented in Scripture and tradition. It will also examine the place of this doctrine in the Church’s theology and worship, and its significance for Christianity’s dialogue with the natural sciences and the current ecological crisis.
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Dr Lim K Tham
Speakers: Mr Isaac Wong, Dr Lim K Tham, Dr Robert Sears, Rev Dr Andrew Peh
Date: 3 Oct 2020
Time: 10am – 12.45pm
Venue: ZOOM
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Mr Isaac Wong
The doctrine of creation is a central tenet of the Christian faith. It is found in the first pages of the Bible (Genesis 1:1-31) and enshrined in the ecumenical creeds of the Church, such as the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. This conference will explore this doctrine as it is presented in Scripture and tradition. It will also examine the place of this doctrine in the Church’s theology and worship, and its significance for Christianity’s dialogue with the natural sciences and the current ecological crisis.
ETHOS Webinar 2020: God & Creation by Dr Lim K Tham
Speakers: Mr Isaac Wong, Dr Lim K Tham, Dr Robert Sears, Rev Dr Andrew Peh
Date: 3 Oct 2020
Time: 10am – 12.45pm
Venue: ZOOM
MOM Appreciation Meeting
HIA-AGWO is humbled to have been part of a virtual appreciation event by the Ministry of Manpower on 21 October. Minister for Manpower, Mrs Josephine Teo; Second Minister for Manpower and Trade and Industry, Mr Tan See Leng and Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence, Mr Zaqy Mohamad took the opportunity to thank MOM’s NGO partners, such as AGWO—a movement of HIA—who have worked with them to help guest workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are glad to have worked closely with MOM to distribute more than 1 million Care Meals and 1.2 million essential supplies (hygiene products, medical supplies and other food items), as well as prayer mats during the Circuit Breaker period. We are also working with MOM on Project Sunshine, a series of organised outings to improve the holistic well-being of guest workers. We will continue to complement government efforts and partner agencies such as MOM to serve the guest workers in our midst.
Many thanks also go out to our donors, partners and volunteers, without whom we would not have been able to make such an impact. Head to https://www.hia.sg/contact to find out how you can partner with us today!
Christian Heritage Trail
Bras Basah-Bugis and the Civic District precinct is the arts, historical, architectural and heritage district. Charmed with a unique mix of the rich heritage of Singapore’s past and modernity of art and architecture, the area is an exciting representation of a modern city that thrives on its vibrant and energetic creative communities. The area is bustling with activities today, but do you know how the Christian Faith started in Singapore?
The lesser-known details are shared in this new Christian Heritage Trail, organised by International Bible Experiences (IBEx) and supported by the Community Integration Fund of the National Integration Council (NIC) under Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
The Christian Heritage Trail is approximately 2.8km route that will take 2 hours, featuring 13 sites. It aims to educate participants, especially the younger generation on the richness, diversity and unity of the Christian faith in Singapore. It also encourages believers to share with the public on the contributions the church has made to Singapore and its people.
[NOTE]
Kindly be informed that all Christian Heritage Trails will be conducted via zoom till further notice due to the current COVID-19 situation.
Some of the sites include:
Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church
The church was established in 1843 by Reverend Benjamin Keasberry (1811 – 1875) as the Malay Mission Chapel, to serve the Malay community. [And for a number of years, a thriving Peranakan congregation also worshipped there.]
Singapore Art Museum (former St. Joseph’s Institution)
Singapore Art Museum buildings were once home to Catholic boys’ schools – St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI) on Bras Basah Road and Catholic High School (CHS) on Queen Street. SJI was the first Catholic school and 3rd school established in Singapore (after Raffles institution & St Margaret’s). In 1852, the school was started as the St. John’s School by six De La Salle Brothers, with the support of Reverend Father Jean-Marie Beurel. This was to be the first missionary establishment of the La Salle Brothers in the Far East.
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and the present seat of its Archbishop, Most Rev. William Goh DD. Built in 1847, it is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Singapore and is a gazetted National Monument since 1973.
St Andrew’s Cathedral
Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, expressly reserved the site occupied by the Cathedral for a church. Lieutenant Philip Jackson, the colony’s engineer and land surveyor, was tasked by Raffles to head the Town Committee to revise the layout of the city; to divide it into ethnic functional subdivisions and to layout the colony in a grid pattern so as to bring some order to the growth of a thriving colony. The [site of the Cathedral which was included in the] map completed in February 1823 is known as the Plan of the Town of Singapore or the Jackson Plan. It is on display in the Singapore History Gallery of the National Museum of Singapore.
Other sites include Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Wesley Methodist Church, Bible House, Armenian Church, and more.
The trail took approximately 3 years to develop. It includes a variety of sources, such as Bobby Sng’s “In His Good Time”, Jerome Lim’s “Long & Winding Road”, as well as Wikipedia, various churches/schools websites and National Library Board infopedia. Extensive time was also needed to look through and compare maps of different eras to identify the locations.
The Christian Heritage Trail is one of the efforts by IBEx as part of its ongoing tasks to document and promote the distinct histories and memories of the work and contributions by the early Christian missionaries in Singapore. We hope that Singaporeans will be encouraged to join the trail.
Dates of upcoming trails:
Part 1: Prinsep St to Mt Sophia
Date: 17 Oct 2020
Time: 3.30pm-4.30pm
Cost: FREE
Part 2: Bras Basah to Armenian St
Date: 24 Oct 2020
Time: 3.30pm-4.30pm
Cost: FREE
*Note: This is a Zoom Live-Streaming.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
HIA Wins the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Award 2020
Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA) is humbled and honoured to have received two nominations for the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) — one each in the Organisation of Good and Leader of Good categories for HIA’s contributions to society amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised annually by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), the PVPA is the pinnacle award and platform to recognise individuals and groups that have achieved excellence in giving.
On 16 October 2020, HIA won the Organisation of Good Award, which its President Rev Ezekiel Tan received on behalf of HIA. Rev Samuel Gift Stephen, Lead Director of the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach, received a special commendation in the Leader of Good category.
In the face of the greatest challenge of our generation, HIA is privileged to serve with fellow Singaporeans to provide care and assistance for the vulnerable and marginalised communities. Since the commencement of the circuit breaker in April till July, we worked with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Migrant Workers’ Centre to distribute 1,027,505 Care Meals and more than 1.2 million essential items (hygiene packs, medical supplies and other food items) to over 21,000 guest workers living in 300 dormitories. Supporting the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), we have also rendered our assistance to a few hundred homeless individuals who were most affected by the pandemic through the Safe Sound Sleeping Places (S3P) initiative and the Innkeeper’s Project.
In his thank you speech, Rev Ezekiel Tan, President of HIA thanked Madam President Halimah Yacob and NVPC for this kind affirmation, that our collective efforts have made an impact. He also took the opportunity to thank our partners, donors and volunteers for their invaluable contribution to the various causes we champion. HIA is also appreciative of unsung heroes, whose names are not mentioned but have played a critical role in our endeavour to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable communities. Noting that these uncertain times have made the needs of the underprivileged in society even more pronounced, Rev Tan said, “Providing care to the needy is a privilege and has also transformed our own lives. May I invite more to join us in doing good, to shine the light of hope in this gloomy season”.
Looking ahead, we are inspired to do more. HIA will continue to give our best as an aggregator of assistance and services for the needy, reaching out especially to the guest worker and homeless communities through our partnership with agencies such as the MOM, MSF and NVPC in Project Sunshine and the Ending Homelessness Together Coalition (EHTC). Project Sunshine aims to improve the holistic wellbeing of guest workers through a series of organised outdoor activities that provide guest workers with an avenue for recreation and leisure. The homeless community will also remain a key beneficiary of our efforts through EHTC as we partner MSF, SowCare and New Hope Community Services in their respective programmes that provide temporary shelter for the rough sleepers.
We would like to invite you to partner with us and make a difference in the lives of many. Click the button below to find out how you can donate, partner or volunteer with us!
Watch this video to hear from the HIA President as he accepts the Award on behalf of HIA.