Building up Families in the Christian Way. The Christian Family and Social Movement, Singapore (CFSM) is a Catholic Lay Apostolate organization.
In the early 1960s, inspired by the then nascent movement of “Christian Groups with a social orientation” in Europe, some self-help family groups were started in the new housing estates in Singapore. In 1963, the Movement was registered with the “Registrar of Societies” in Singapore, and began operating. The early groups addressed the challenges of the fast-pace of social and economic changes faci
ng all families living in the new housing estates in Singapore 1960s. Members were taught the process of “social enquiry” and learned to discern the reasons, the values and the consequences of societal changes on the person and in particular, on families. Pursuing their line of sensitising themselves to the changes around them, questioning the root causes, re-examining, reflecting and discerning with guidance from Christian values, members became thinking, mature Christian citizens participating and contributing to the life of the Nation. Today, the CFSM continues this formation of its members into all-round Christian adults, mainly parents, workers, citizens, etc. able to participate fully in the building of the nation. Its members still share and learn from one another in small family group gatherings, meeting mainly in the homes of its members. New members and young married couples with children found this method of grouping and sharing to be educational, developing the whole person in character building and a better sense of self-worth. In the process, they also become better parents, spouses, family members, workers, Christians and citizens. The directions and organization, on a national scale, are provided by an executive committee of volunteers elected from among its members annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Movement is self-financing, organizes faith and personal formation sessions and regularly circulates news articles on current issues as “food for thought and formation”. Participation and circulation is restricted only to its members. The CFSM is affiliated to the International Confederation of Christian Family Movement (ICCFM) and the World Movement of Christian Workers (WMCW).
