For more than 40 years, Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) has been committed to working alongside the Church, community partners, corporates, volunteers, and donors to uplift lives so that many may experience life in all its fullness.

In the past financial year, a very tangible expression of this commitment has been the release of the White Paper in response to the 4G government’s ForwardSG blueprint and The Healing Nation which hopes to inspire a culture of volunteerism and others-centredness. We thank God too, that we were able to open a third Nursing Home to support the growing need for residential care.

However, the work that is done by MWS continually requires the strong support of our churches and the wider community, to be able to keep making a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged and needy.

As Christians, we are the hands and feet of Christ – called to bring His hope and peace to those who do not yet know him. 1 Peter 1:3 reminds us, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” In a bleak and broken world, more and more desperately need the living hope that we hold in our hearts.

Even within the Church, we are not immune to the darkness of the world we live in. Yet we have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) to guard our hearts and minds. How much harder it must be for those without this hope and peace.

Though MWS has touched many lives since its founding, much more remains to be done. We are but one of many organisations striving to provide a safety net for those who fall through the cracks in society. Still, so many lives dwell in the shadows – unseen and unheard.

I pray that, together as one community, we will support the essential work of MWS, to enable the disadvantaged and distressed to live life to the full and come to know the living hope and unshakeable peace that is available in Christ Jesus.