Remembrance of how MHI now have two interpreted services in Wesley Methodist Church

      MHI started worshipping (providing sign language interpretation) in the Wesley Hall since 1991. It was started as part of the Prayer and Praise 9am on Sundays. Thereafter, the Deaf group would adjourn to the Music Room so that we can review the lessons we learnt after breakfast at YMCA McDonalds. We called that Sunday Fellowship.
      It went on for many years. The timings of the worship changed from 9am to 915am.  We found a Drop in Center DIC in 2000 at the Singapore Shopping Center. Later on in 2002 we started meeting at YWCA for our Sunday Fellowship at the Drop in Center (DIC Room 810) when COSC (Christian Outreach and Social Concerns) Department moved out of Wesley Church and to YWCA Level 8. In 2007 we moved to YMCA when COSC + DIC moved to the place which was originally YMCA McDonalds. 
      Many people asked me how did MHI split to attend 2 services? The original one on Sunday 9:15am Prayer and Praise and the second one The Saturday Service at 5pm on Saturday.
      It all began in 2011. MHI was preparing for ADCMC (Asia Deaf Christian Missions Conference October 18-21 2011) to the Philippines that year. A group of us are preparing to attend the conference and as a team from Singapore, we had to present an item as part of the program at Pampanga, Luzon.  We started to meet on a Saturday to practise signing the song "Who am I" by Casting Crowns.
      That time Wesley Church, particularly Wesley Hall had to undergo renovation. Thus we had to move to the Bible House for worship on Sunday. The space at the Bible House was limited and so the annoucements we made for the congregations make arrangements for other options like going to attend church on Saturday or Sunday instead.
      At first, the news was met with alot of reluctance. However the group that was already meeting on Saturdays would go attend the Saturday Service at Bible House after the practice.  The Sunday Fellowship was still being held on Sundays after the 915am service.  I received a call from Chairman (Ms Joey Chen) one day. She has requested that the Sunday Fellowship be moved to Saturday because it may be more convenient for all to attend Bible study in the afternoon on a Saturday instead of Sunday morning. I was at first reluctant because I believe that after the Conference, we will all be attending the Sunday Fellowship. Therefore there is no need to change the venue and the timings.
       She insisted and so, two groups of us met on Saturday for separate reasons. After our respective activities, we would attend the Saturday Service at the Bible House. After the Conference in the Philippines, we continued to meet as one combined group as The Saturday Fellowship and then went  for Saturday Service together. We had to provide interpretation for the Deaf at that service. When the Wesley Hall renovation was completed, the Sunday Prayer and Praise group went back to Wesley Hall and continued with the regular Sunday service at 915am.  The Deaf youths instead got used to the service on Saturdays.
      Thus we continue to attend the Saturday Service regularly since we moved back to Wesley Hall when renovations were completed. So now, MHI provides sign language interpretation for two services on Saturday and Sunday separately.

MHI Interpretation Feedback Unit February 2004

MHI Interpretation Feedback Unit

 

Introduction

            We have begun to notice that there are increasing number of Hearing Impaired friends coming back to MHI last year (2003). It is similar in all departments in MHI. We also noticed that increasing number of Deaf people attend the 9:30am Prayer and Praise Service. This group of people are generally the older adults and those visiting Wesley Methodist Church.  They are different from the group we have in Sunday Fellowship.

            MHI has been providing interpretation services since we started as part of the Prayer and Praise Committee (P&P). Subsequently we came under the Christian Outreach and Social Concerns Committee (COSC).

            Interpretation is provided for both song worship as well as sermon.  Recently the demands for interpretation to attend other courses offered by Wesley Methodist Church have increased. This included special preaching sessions as well as Baptism Classes.

            I propose we start a MHI Interpretation Feedback Unit. This group of people in charge will be responsible to gauge the level of understand in our interpretation and provide feedback to the interpretation group.  The aim is to encourage as well as give suggestions in order to make MHI and Wesley Methodist Church a more Deaf friendly environment.

 

Aim of the Feedback Unit

1)      To provide encouragement to the Interpreters. 

2)      Make suggestions on improvement in level of interpretation.

3)      Allow an avenue for the Deaf to communicate with the interpreters.

4)      Discover new ways to convey message to the Deaf Community

 

Method

1)      Form a group of people consisting of Deaf as well as Hearing who will drive the Unit to fulfil the aim

2)      Plan various methods of feedback from the Deaf

3)      Convey the feedback to the Interpreter Group two to three monthly

4)      Monitor the quality of interpretation

5)      Provide suggestions for the Training Department of MHI how to improve interpretation and create more awareness for need of interpreters.

 

What the Feedback Unit is Not

1)      Unit is not a discipline body

2)      Unit is not responsible to train the Interpreters

3)      Unit is not to criticise level of interpretation

 

Critical factors

1)      Unit must consist of Deaf and Hearing members (preferably 50/50)

2)      Unit must think of novel ways to encourage feedback from Deaf end users for improvement

3)      Unit must become the voice of those who feedback.

 

Proposed by

Dr Victor Keng

MHI Committee member

23^rd February 2004

MHI Tuition 2003 January

MHI Tuition 2003

 

Introduction

MHI Tuition has undergone a few major revamps and direction since the start in 1992.  We have also seen the changes in demographics of the students coming through the doors of MHI tuition.

 

In the beginning when we first started tuition, there were no students who know about our services. It started after we decided to use our skills of sign language in order to reach out to the Deaf Community. Raising the Deaf student’s academic ability seems to be the best way to reach the student and its family and teaching the student to read, write and communicate is the initial step in sharing the Gospel with them.

 

We tried reaching some parents by word of mouth about our services when we started on Saturday. A few parents brought their child, but they were not impressed with the attendance because there are so few. Furthermore, we are just starting out in the use of sign language and we are still in the process of learning how to communicate. Therefore the attendance of such parent-student is not regular. Sometimes we are left with nobody to teach.  It was very disappointing.

 

Later on, we called the Principal of the Singapore School for the Deaf.  We offered them free tuition and invited them openly to come to Wesley Methodist Church.  However, we met them at YMCA and then brought them into the church. The first tuition was remarkable. It was as if the half the school descended upon MHI.  But the response was immediately attenuated when some of the Muslims as well as non-Christians complained it was not appropriate to attend tuition in a church.

 

Though after that exercise, we did see a few more students getting to know our services and they continue to come for tuition.  We expanded to include extra curricular activities to continue to attract these students to stay on.  Next we attempted to contact the parents of these students and establish a rapport with them. This further strengthened our bonds with them. 

 

As the attendance improved, we decided that it should not be a homework center. The students need to learn something from the volunteers.  Therefore we decided, in line with the first aim to share the Gospel with them, English language should be the emphasis of the MHI Tuition.  Second comes Mathematics and then subsequently the other subjects. Later on it went on to include Principles of Accounting and Additional Mathematics when they reached secondary school.

 

By 1995, we realized that tuition is the way to go as the population of students from not only Singapore School for the Deaf increased and as more get promoted to Upper Serangoon Secondary School, we need to expand to accommodate the number of students.  The proposal for a full time Program Coordinator is put up to the church.  Tuition expanded beyond Saturday and went on to Tuesdays as well as Fridays.

 

By 1996, we have a full time Program Coordinator.  We established contacts with the principal of Upper Serangoon Secondary School and have close rapport with him.  The Program Coordinator was able to enter the school to provide interpretation for the students within their own classrooms.  A large group of them are preparing for their O Levels and N Levels.  We decided to prepare them and immerse them into a highly specialized tuition called Success in English (SUE).  A selected group of tutors were roped in to conduct the course and it was very successful.  Most of them continued after the major exams with further education either in Polytechnic or in ITE and none dropped out to the workforce.

 

In 2000, the demographics of the students begin to change noticeably.  With the emphasis of integration, Ministry of Education has encouraged students with disability to mainstream them into the normal schools. As a result, the enrollment for Singapore School for the Deaf (SSD) as well as Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired (CSHI) saw decrease in their population and application to enter the schools.  At the same time, the introduction for the Cochlear Implant for students with medical subsidy to the families with Deaf children have also encouraged more parents to send their children for the operation.  CSHI worked closely with the hospitals in order to receive some of these children in order to help them with the rehabilitation program because CSHI have adopted the aural-verbal mode of education/ communication.

 

MHI also experience a change in the number of students. The old group using the sign language is getting older and they move either towards the workforce or they entered Polytechnic. Instead a new group of students with hearing impairment known currently as Hard of Hearing (HH) enter MHI to take up tuition.

 

 

MHI Tuition 2002

MHI Tuition in 2002 pose a significant challenge for MHI as we enter into the new year.  Currently as I see it, there are a few groups with different needs and different levels of communication.

 

1)      The Adult group.  Mode of communication : sign language. They are usually the upgraders. Basic level of education is secondary school and most do not have O Levels. They are trying to pass the BEST and WISE examinations in order to upgrade and receive a better pay.    Numbers : 2 –3

 

2)      The Teenager group (mainstream).  Mode of communication : speech.  Currently studying in the mainstream school.  They may have been through Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired.  They have adapted fairly with the hearing stream and needs help to keep up with the daily pressures of homework.  They will eventually take N and O Levels. Numbers : 1

 

 

3)      The Children group (mainstream). Mode of communication : speech.  Currently studying in mainstream school.  They will take the PSLE.   Numbers : 1

4)      The Children group (aural-verbal).  Mode of communication : speech and gestures.  Currently studying in Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired.  They do not sign and sometimes view signing as “second-class”.  They will take PSLE eventually. Some of them have Cochlear Implants.   Numbers : 5

 

5)      The Children group (signers).  Mode of communication: speech and sign.  Currently studying in Singapore School for the Deaf.  They are fluent in sign and use speech also. They practice Total Communication.  They will take PSLE Numbers : 2

 

 

6)      The kindergarden group.  Mode of communication : speech.  Numbers 1

 

 

This will pose a big challenge for MHI to remain relevant.

As we can see, the needs of individual children cannot be a “one-size fits all”.  The only way is to know their needs and try our best to adapt to their ability. 

 

 

Solutions?

1)      Recognize that English is important for the students to do well in school.

2)      Categorize the students in order to fit the tutor to the students.

3)      Monitor their progress and adjust again in order to fine tune our aid to them.

 

Communication

MHI volunteers in the tuition program must understand that there are a few different groups of  children. All of them have different needs and there are a few minimum requirements each tutor need to take note and understand.

 

1)      MHI Tuition is a means not an aim in order for MHI to help the students to understand the Gospel

2)      We need to know what is the ability of language of the student.  Are they comfortable with signs or aural?

3)      We need to know the IQ and academic standard of the student. Even though they are much older, they may be studying in an academic standard way below their age.

4)      The volunteers should be paired accurately with the communication ability of the child

5)      The emphasis should be to upgrade the level of English so that they can understand written as well as spoken language

6)      The progress of each child should be monitored very closely together with the parents

7)      Perhaps a change of mindset towards our tuition center of students as well as parents and volunteers should be introduced. They should not see the tuition center as a once or twice weekly affair in order to help the child cope with the academic requirements of the school. Instead all should see it as a holistic approach to integrate the child into MHI, Wesley Methodist Church as well as to Singapore.  All is to target at integrating the child to function normally in his environment to be a happy and productive child of God.  The strategy is therefore long term and not just 2 hours per week during the school term. Parent and child should therefore see an integration of their lives into the life in MHI and Wesley Methodist Church.

 

 

Victor Keng

27^th January 2003

Volunteer

Review of Final Year Project 14 Nov 2001

Review of Final Year Project

Sign Language

Temasek Polytechnic

 

Introduction

            Students with hearing impairment communicate in most parts of the world as well as in Singapore using sign language. There is no such thing as a universal sign language.  Signs are only called a language when it has syntax and sentence structure with grammar which is unique to the language.  Otherwise, it is only a gesture. 

Each country has its unique sign language system it has evolved from and adopted.  For example most American Deaf people use American Sign Language (ASL), British Deaf people use British Sign Language and Chinese Deaf people living in the north of China use Shanghai Sign Language.  The American Sign Language is actually adopted from the French Sign Language.  The importance of the sign language parallels the economic success of the country it is from.  The prevalence of usage is also dependent on the emphasis of education in the Deaf Community. 

Language is fluid and ever changing. So is sign language.  It undergoes modification not only according to the colloquial application, it is also dependent on the social status of the Deaf Community. Thus a sophisticated community will have more signs than a community which requires basic signs to communicate.

 

Singapore Sign Language

            The history of sign language which is adopted in Singapore by those using sign language to communicate parallels the economic growth of Singapore as well as its emphasis on education and academic qualification.  When Singapore became independent, there were 2 system of education very similar to the normal schools.  Deaf students have the choice to be taught using Chinese sign language or American sign language.  As Singapore grew economically, the emphasis on English was evident.  Sign language also followed suit as the Chinese system was phased out and students were mainly taught using English as the medium.

            In the eighties, it was noted that American Sign Language was insufficient to help the average Deaf student cope with the demands of good English in order to get higher education qualifications.  ASL relied on concepts rather than “grammatically correct”.  In the mid eighties, Singapore Association for the Deaf decided to adopt Sign Exact English (SEE) as the language to be used in the schools in order to teach Deaf students so that they can keep up academically with the mainstream students.  Subsequently, Total Communication or a system to make use of all possible forms of communications including signs, gestures, body language, etc was adopted in the school system.

 

Other students with hearing impairment

            Not all students with hearing impairment use sign language. Some of them decided to be taught the Aural way which is to learn to listen and lip-read. This system unfortunately is dependent on the person to interact directly with the person spoken to. With the education system keen for mainstreaming, less and less students are taught sign language which may help them better understand the community they live in or an additional mode of communication as well as obtaining information from a different source.

            There are also those who have hearing impairment, but have never gone to school. They rely mainly on gesturing in order to communicate their thoughts and wishes.

 

Where are the needs?

a)      Deaf students need supplemental coaching besides that taught in the school.  A multi-media way may beneficial so that slow students can learn sign language at their own pace.

b)      Deaf students who eventually go to mainstream secondary schools may want their normal friends to learn sign language so that they can communicate with one another.

c)      Deaf students need a sign language dictionary that is regularly updated as new signs are introduced.  This will be essential for Deaf adults who have left school for many years and want to be kept updated.

d)     Deaf students who are taught the Aural way may want to learn sign language to communicate with their friends who use sign language

e)      Parents and siblings want to learn sign language to communicate with their Deaf child or sibling.

f)       Normal people who want to help Deaf people or work with them need to be efficient in sign language to communicate with Deaf people.

 

 

Program Criteria

a)      Sign language is motion.  The program should have moving pictures of the signs.

b)      We should try to standardize the sign language we want to use in Singapore viz Sign Exact English

c)      Some of the signs are related. Explanations, other than just the word of the sign, including related signs can be included.  For example breakfast, lunch and dinner. The signs are “B”, “L” and “D” to the lips respectively.

d)     SEE includes grammar.  The program should help the user to differentiate the difference in the sign between “see”, “seeing” and “saw”.

e)      The program should try to get the user not only to improve vocabulary, it should help the user to form sentence structures. Eg “ I am going to school to learn English”

f)       The program should not only act as a teaching tool, it should be a dictionary. For example if I want to see the sign of “elephant”, I don’t have to go to “animals” and scroll down to elephant. I should be able to type elephant and it shows me the sign.

g)      Total communication includes using all types of communication. It is not enough to show the sign. The program should also give the user the sound. It will benefit the Deaf person who has residual hearing and also encourages normal people to vocalize besides just using the sound.  The facial expression also is important as it conveys the feeling of the word. Examples are “happy”, “ sad”, “ frightened”.

h)      The program must allow the data bank to expand as more words are included in the program. Perhaps the user can use a web cam to record the motion and allow text to be typed.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                            14^th November 2001

 

 

Teacher in charge

(Attn : Lye Sau Lin)

Learning Sign Language

Temasek Polytechnic.

 

 

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

Final Year Project: Learning Sign Language

 

            I would like to congratulate you and the group of students who came up with this good piece of project.  I can see a lot of potential using it in the Deaf Community in Singapore.

 

            The positive points of this CD are:

a)      User Friendly.

b)      Pleasant music to accompany the user as he goes through each lessons

c)      Friendly looking model and very clear pictures with arrows to show directions

d)     Good introduction to sign language for the new comer to the Deaf Community

e)      Exercise at the end of each lesson so as to help the user revise what he has learnt

 

My points against its limit of use is :

a)      It is more to learn vocabulary than the complete use of sign language to communicate

b)      It does not teach the user how to communicate

c)      The number of vocabulary in the program is limited, thus it is neither a dictionary

 

 

I would say that the program fails to completely fulfil the needs.  I guess it only introduces basic sign language to the hearing person who is curious to know a little about sign language. The user can learn some sign language in order to inform the Deaf person that he is keen to know more.

I have included in this letter, an introduction of Sign Language and its usage in Singapore. This program has a lot of room for improvement.  It can be a valuable tool for the Deaf Community to :

a)      Sign Language education for the Deaf

b)      Sign Language education for the hearing

c)      Sign Language Dictionary

Currently we are dependent on sign language teachers to run tedious courses on the expense of their time.  Within a class of students, each student learn at different speed. A good program will be to supplement such language classes so as to improve their grasp of sign language skills.  The user should be informed that it is not only just vocabulary that is needed in communication, it is also grammar and sentence structure.

 

I do look forward for the group to be able to improve the program.

 

With best regards,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Dr Victor Keng

Chairman

Education Sub Committee

Singapore Association for the Deaf

TIPS For the Sunday Fellowship Worship Team 2001

TIPS For the Sunday Fellowship Worship Team

 

Aim

            We discover the importance of worship in Sunday Fellowship.  We feel that worship is a form of communication with God. Many times we think that worship is just going through enjoyable songs.  The words do not mean anything to us and neither do achieve the sense of closeness to God through songs or hymns.

            We aim not to pick songs just at random.  The Worship Leader has the responsibility to gather the team together on Saturday to discuss what to do during Sunday Fellowship the next day.  The Worship Leader will also pick the songs that are “linked” with a similar theme.

            The primary aim of the Worship Leader is to direct the whole worship back to God.  That the congregation can have a meaningful worship experience with God.  It is not an introduction to new songs.  It is not an introduction to nice songs. The congregation on the other hand can have free expressions to worship, related to the songs picked by the Worship Leader.

            Much prayer is needed on top of the preparations to help the Worship Leader chose the right songs as well as conduct the whole worship.

 

Method

The Worship Team will meet on Saturday.

Worship Leader

a)      Inform the whole team place and time of meeting

b)      Pick the songs

c)      Go through the time table

d)     Assign work to the team so as to assist the worship on Sunday

e)      Pick a verse to read from the Bible related to the theme of the day.

f)       Begin and close in prayer on Saturday as well as during Sunday Fellowship

Worship Team

a)      Be familiar with the time table

b)      Know the responsibilities

c)      Coorperate with the Worship Leader

d)     Check equipment before the Worship Starts.

e)      Keep the Drop In Center Clean

Time Table

            We aim to start on time.  We will go to the place of worship in order to prepare the place and check the equipment.

a)      An attitude and atmosphere of worship must be achieved. No food, no loud noise, soft music

b)      Start with prayer

c)      Songs

d)     Explain the meaning of songs

e)      A verse in the Bible to be read and shared

f)       Say the Lord’s Prayer

g)      Silent prayer and meditation. Soft music in the background

h)      Closing prayer

 

 

 

 

Prepared by

Dr Victor Keng

19^th August 2001

 

 

            The key for the heart of worship is a triangle. 

                                                                        God

                       Worship Leader ∆ Congregation

            The Worship Leader aims to help the Congregation communicate with God through songs and helps them also to reflect about themselves.  The leader tries to give all glory back to God by using a selection of songs, music, dance, programs in order to get the hearts of the congregation right with God.

            The success of the worship is for everybody to worship God together in Spirit and in Truth.  The Congregations ought to feel the presence of God and be able to freely communicate with Him.

            Songs used during the worship may be :

a)      To praise and adore God

b)      To Thank God

c)      To worship and magnify Him

d)     To rejoice in our fellowship with one another as a Body of Christ

 

The tempo of the songs is dependent on how the Worship Leader interprets the words. He or she may want the songs to be according to the tempo of how the song writer wrote it. That means the leader needs to have the CD to have an idea of the speed.  Should the Leader want the congregation to meditate on the words, the speed should be slow.

      Should the Leader want the congregation to rejoice and be glad, the speed should pick up and the congregation respond more lively.

 

14^th September 2001

My Feelings about the Concept of the Deaf Church 2001 August

My Feelings about the Concept of the Deaf Church

Ministry for the Hearing Impaired

17^th August 2001-08-17

            The concept of a Deaf Church crystallised somewhere between end 2000 to the beginning of 2001.  It coincided roughly with the opening of the MHI Drop In Center which was in February 2001.  The idea was briefly mentioned, but a non official meeting was held amongst the hearing members of MHI one night in June at Park Mall.

            The meeting actually started innocently when 3 thoughts were brought up at the same time.  MHI was facing a perpetual volunteer shortage as well as a direction crisis. A) We thought about putting MHI under the supervision of Methodist Welfare Organisation. MWS being within the umbrella of the Methodist family under TRAC seemed like a likely organisation to be affliated with. It is a structured organisation providing for the social needs of the community with the intention of outreach.  It has full time staff and a regular budget provided by the Methodist churches in Singapore.

            B) We thought about doing a year long publicity and recruitment campaign for MHI in the hope to expand our awareness of MHI as well as encourage other Methodist churches to be part of the vision of MHI.  We thought about going ahead with a Mobile Deaf Awareness which seeks to organise a mobile recruitment campaign as well as public deaf awareness promotion.  It seeks not only to help the Methodist churches become aware of the needs of the Deaf in Singapore, it also helps us to give them some idea of what MHI provides. Finally, recruitment of volunteers can be done along the way.

            C) The thought about doing the same outreach activities over and over again for the last few years.  MHI is going to 10 years old by next year.  Still, we belong to the Christian Outreach and Social Concerns Department within Wesley.  Our direction has to be in line with the main department and also there seemed to be no special direction in terms of the spirtual maturity of the Deaf in MHI.  The hope is to allow autonomy  by the Deaf and leadership provided by a Deaf pastor.

            The latter was taken up and thought about carefully.  The meeting was also to make sure that the hearing volunteers in MHI agree to initiate and follow up on the concept.  There are sensitive implications should we achieve autonomy.  Currently, MHI is seen differently by different people.   To most of the hearing volunteers, we feel that we are Wesley members and we are taking time off to volunteer in MHI which is a ministry, like any other ministries in Wesley Church.  For those HI who have become Christians, no attempt is made to help them become members of Wesley Church.  We do however provide a chance for them to integrate into the 9am Prayer and Praise service each Sunday. 

            For the Deaf who come to MHI, many feel that it is like any services in Singapore providing for the needs of the Deaf, a welfare organisation.  They eventually become members of MHI by utilising the services provided by MHI.  Unfortunately there is really no system as to identify who is or who isn’t a member.  For some who has been in MHI long enough, they are identified by Committee members as Deaf volunteers.  Only some respond to the evangelistic activities to become Christians.

            Should a Deaf Church be realised, it would mean leadership is from a Deaf Pastor. Worship, prayer and preaching will be done in sign language.  Hearing people will take a secondary role in terms of leadership.  We will be part of the manpower provision.  Direction will be initiated by members of the Deaf church themselves.  Autonomy will come with responsibility.  They will be directly responsible to manage their own budget and finances, logistics, management, etc.

            The idea was presented to Sunday Fellowship as well as the Ladies Fellowship. It drew mixed reactions.  Some were keen for independence and autonomy.  Some see it as an additional burden to the already stretched Deaf Volunteers.  Some see it as a redundancy because there are many Deaf ministries present in Singapore already.

 

            The meeting was held during the Thursday Ladies Fellowship time on 16^th August 2001.  Evelyn was there to help those who were present during the meeting have a better understanding of the things yet to come should Deaf Church become a reality.

            A summary of what Sunday Fellowship has been for the past years were highlighted. Sunday Fellowship started as a group concentrating on Sunday School or Bible studies and Fellowship.  The fellowship involves getting the people to do things together such as activities like having a meal together.  Later on, Sunday Fellowship develop on to include small groups. 

            The Deaf Church will be run by a group of people who are touched by the Holy Spirit and there is no real system nomination or election.  Those who felt called will volunteer their services to the positions which are opened.  There is also no time limit to rush to fill all the positions.  The focus of Deaf Church will be on God and Serving God.

            The following are positions suggested:

a)      Worship Coordinator

b)      Prayer Coordinator

c)      Program Coordinator

d)     Treasurer -  He will be in charge of tithing, which goes back to Wesley Methodist and petty cash which is money to run certain activities in the Deaf Church.

e)      Logistics

f)       Bible study coordinator (presently to be run by hearing)

g)      Performing Arts Coordinator

h)      Missions/ membership Coordinator

 

 

This part of the essay is written on 10^th September 2001. Some new developments have occurred.  Evelyn Yong has expressed that her husband has felt the call to take up full time ministry and he will be helping to set up a new church in Tiong Bahru.  This will mean that she will most likely have to follow him the new church. 

      This created a lot of uncertainty amongst the people in Sunday Fellowship.  But Evelyn has already decided.  The meeting I had with her on 7^th September 2001, she revealed to me her plans.   She has been sharing with the Chairman of MHI, Mabel Chia the requests of developing the Deaf Church.  She hopes to be able to get another full time worker to meet the spiritual needs of our HI.  This will be the initial stage to formalise the structure of the Deaf Church. 

I believe ultimately, that the Deaf Church will become separate from MHI.  MHI will still fulfil its function as a sub ministry for the Christian Outreach and Social Services Department in Wesley Methodist Church.  It will concentrate on outreach to the Deaf Community and providing Christian care and concerns in terms of social services. 

My feeling about the Deaf Church is that is will eventually be part of the TRAC linked churches.  I feel that Deaf Church must not come under MHI because it has different directions and different mission.  Furthermore, should it be at the level of the Korean Fellowship, Mandrin Service or the Filipino Fellowship, it will not get the autonomy it needs for Deaf people to develop independent of Wesley Methodist Church.

The development of Deaf Church has many methods.  But I would suggest a few things.  Sunday Fellowship must have more autonomy from the MHI Committee except for the budget to run its programs.  Sunday Fellowship will concentrate on nurture and discipleship.  Thus in terms of the outreach aspects, it does not need so much money to run programs. 

When Evelyn has indicated that she may be absent from her role as a coordinator, I expressed my fear that most of our volunteers are very young and new to MHI. The last thing we need is a good Bible teacher, but no vision for the development of the Deaf Church.  We should also not allow such Bible teachers to think that Sunday Fellowship is a Sunday School; the Deaf forever the students and them forever the teachers.

Such thinking will be destructive for the whole group.  On the other hand, I feel that the Bible teachers should know the ultimate aim and then be prepared to share their lives with the Deaf for the rest of their lives.  Their role is to help as many HI realise their role and responsibilities as Christians and help them fulfil the dream of establishing their own church.  Whether the Bible teacher will become a member of the Deaf Church in the future, it will be up to the individual.

Furthermore, I think that the Sunday Fellowship is being touched by the Spirit.  There is much obvious change in the lives of the HI who visited the Fellowship.  Their enthusiasm can be seen by their willingness to volunteer and serve including teaching of the Gospel to help the rest understand.  Whatever is happening in Sunday Fellowship, it is supernatural.  This change in response has been especially strong after three of them has gone to the TRAC youth leadership Camp at Malacca.  When they come back, they seemed to have a new incentive to serve in MHI.  Suddenly there is a new spirit, a new enthusiasm to share the Gospel with the rest. Some were actually preaching.

Following this, the number of those who joined the Ladies Thursday Fellowship increased.  This was followed by the start of the Men’s Bible Study Group led by David Tan.