Bridging the Generations: A Call to Courage, Legacy, and Hope

Matthew Tan
12 hours ago
5 min read

Here is a look at what God is doing through our youth and young adults, and how our church family - especially those who have walked the journey of faith for decades - is called to step into the gap.

A Wake-Up Call for Every Generation: YMLC 2026

Back row (from left to right):

Brandon Lim, Samuel Lee, Matthew Tan, Michelle Lee, Alexander Khoo,

Rev Rufus Chan, Natasha Oh, Darryl Lau.

Front row (from left to right):

Sylvia Lee, Natasha Koh, Christopher Yeow, Valeree Soh, Macy Lim, Laura Ong.

From July 2–4, 2026, 14 delegates from CCMC joined over 300 young adults at the Young Methodist Leaders Conference (YMLC) in Johor Bahru. Under the theme "For Every Soul," the conference confronted two sobering realities facing today’s church: an open "back door," where members quietly drift away due to a lack of intentional discipleship, and a closed "front door," where newcomers struggle to find authentic belonging.

These dynamics are revealed in national trends. The General Household Survey 2025 highlights a decline in Singapore’s Christian population over the past five years (from 18.9% in 2020 to 17.1% in 2025).

Where are all the people going? Within our own CCMC family, the reality hits even closer to home: currently, only about 1 in 3 children raised in our church remains active in the faith. This is based on an informal census I did in 2025 – there are, I believe, even more youths and young adults we had lost touch with. Can we take a moment to pray for them right now? For God’s grace & mercy to reach out to them and bring them back to Him?

Now, evangelism & discipleship is not merely a numbers game, but behind every number is a name – a lost son or daughter of God. From the parables in Luke 15, TRAC President Rev Reuben Ng reminded us that God never stops seeking the last, the least, and the lost. His love is relentless, and He invites us to share that same heart.

Building a lasting spiritual legacy requires far more than a two-hour Sunday routine from all of us. YMLC left us with three vital reminders:

Rediscover the Gospel: When we lose a deep amazement for the Good News, sharing it becomes a chore instead of a joy.
Be a Rescue Station: The church is not meant to be a comfortable clubhouse; it is a life-saving station.
Live with Purpose: We must keep at the forefront of our minds both the beauty and the urgency of the Gospel every single day.

Our YMLC delegates returned inspired and eager to connect. Take time to hear their stories, their fire, combined with your wisdom, can transform our CCMC family. Yet I sense that God is not urging us to do more for Him, but to be more like Jesus.

Raising the Next Generation: Youth Sunday & "One Community"

Right on the heels of YMLC, on July 5, 2026, CCMC celebrated Youth Sunday together. Grounded in 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Timothy 1:5, the day reminded us that a vibrant, enduring faith is passed down across generations through intentional relationship.

Our youth ministry, One Community (OC), meets Sundays at 9amin Wesley Hall (MGS Level 4), except for Holy Communion Sundays and Special Sundays.

Our logo portrays our vision – young people centred around the person of Jesus. His teachings, His character, His way of life, reveal to us the best way to live, in fact the only way to True Life.

In a world of intense academic pressure and competing cultural narratives, OC seeks to ground our youth in core truths, which includes:

Discovering what it means to be made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27).
They must not follow worldly measures of success (1 John 2:16).
Understanding the depth of God’s grace over sin (Romans 5:20).
Nurturing an ever-deepening experience of Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:16–19).
Counting the cost to follow Jesus intentionally (Luke 9:23).
Living as ambassadors of Christ wherever they are (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The Power of Intergenerational Faith: It takes a village…

It takes a village to raise a kid. Discipleship begins in the home, yet it also takes an entire church family to nurture it well – not just the preachers, but every person in the church is already part of this. This is because faith is caught, not taught. Youths learn from what they see in others.

We often see our youths first coming into OC already inundated by academics, activities and ambitions without a foundational love and priority for God. Modern pressures often drown out God's voice before a young person's roots can sink deep. Does this echo our own busy lives as adults?

This is where your presence matters most. Effective discipleship isn't so much about mentoring to improve spiritual “performance”, but about living a life worth following – one that has counted the cost and wholeheartedly follows the way of Jesus. Young people don't just need programs - they need mature believers who walk alongside them, demonstrating what faith looks like through life's trials and triumphs.

Your years of walking with God, your tested faith, and your quiet resilience are priceless resources for the next generation. By opening your heart to mentor, pray for, or simply listen to our youth, you become a lighthouse pointing them to Jesus.

Youth Initiatives

District 4-Lympics (9 August 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM): A joint sports day hosted at ACS (International) by Holland Village Methodist Church, bringing together over 100 youths from CCMC, Faith MC, Holland Village MC, Living Waters MC, and Aldersgate MC. Please pray for safety, unity, and lasting Kingdom friendships.
OC Youth Camp 2026 (26–29 December 2026): Held locally in Singapore, OC camp this year offers time away from distractions for our youths to encounter God deeply and recognise His purpose for our lives. Post-PSLE students are strongly invited as well! Keep an eye out for camp registration! It will be publicised at the worship services soon.

Step Into the Gap: How You Can Help

Youth ministries today are really seeing a lack of labourers, this is true of OC as well. You don't need to be a youth expert to make an impact—you just need a heart to serve and share the love of Christ humbly and generously.

Some ways you can support OC:

Prayer Support Partners: Stand in the gap through regular, focused prayer for our young people and youth leaders.
MGS Outreach Ministry: Support school outreach efforts and gospel presence.
Hospitality: Help feed and care for hungry youths during Sunday sessions and special events.
Teaching & Mentoring: Share God’s Word, facilitate discussions, or walk one-on-one with a young person.

Visit us: Drop by Wesley Hall (L4) on any Sunday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM to see what God is doing in OC! We meet every week except Holy Communion and Special Sundays.

Express your interest online: bit.ly/ccmc-oc

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20–21

About the Author:

Matthew Tan is the Lay Executive Staff (Youth) of CCMC.