17th Vacation Bible School

The objectives of the Vacation Bible School (VBS) are as follows:

1.      To reach out to the non-Christian children in the neighbourhood and to those of our loved ones and friends.

2.      To build up our children’s faith and encourage them to evangelize.

3.      To lay a good groundwork for future VBS.

4.      To develop potential helpers/teachers.

Our annual Vacation Bible School was held in person in Calvary Pandan from 20 to 23 November in 2023. We are thankful to God to have the opportunity to minster to 60 over children (from mainly 6 to 12 years old) during the 3 day-VBS. The theme was “Jesus is coming again – are you ready?” (based upon Matthew 25). Thank God for providing Pr David (P4 to P6),  Sis Hadassah (P1 to P3) and Sis Gracia (K2) as speakers and for about 30 church members who stepped up to serve as group leaders and helpers. Through the messages, singspiration, games, craft, video show and gospel sharing time, the gospel was shared and reinforced. Please pray for the salvation of the unsaved and for the saved, that they may be faithful servants and be ever ready for judgement when the Lord Jesus returns as the Glorious Judge one day.  

Truth Children's Fellowship 2023

 

The objectives of the TCF are:

1) to evangelize boys and girls with the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and

2) to establish them in the Word of God for Christian living.

Thank God for His faithfulness to TCF since we started in 2007. In 2023, TCF celebrated its 16^th Anniversary on 25 February 2023. The theme was “We are Ambassadors for Christ.” Rev Dennis gave the exhortation from 2 Corinthians 5:20: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God did beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” In commemoration of TCF 16^th Anniversary, the TCF children presented a song item “The King’s Business” and a photo slide show about how God blessed TCF in 2022 was shown.

Since Singapore will lower its DORSCON level from Yellow to Green from 13 February 2023, all our meetings are back to normal. Our weekly program includes singspiration, message, counsel time and refreshment. Each week we have about 18 children and 6 teachers. The only reminders that we been through a terrible pandemic was the few children who still donned masks during the meetings. We continued to have quarterly quizzes and gift exchanges although there were no plans to bring back regular games and library time yet.

Thank God for the faithful service of all the speakers, teachers and helpers. The children heard 31 messages under the following four themes in 2023 -  "The Seven Cs of History" (Term 1), "The Christian Soldier" (Term 2), "Parables of Jesus" (Term 3) and "Lessons from Proverbs" (Term 4).

 

Other major events in TCF calendar 2023 included:

• 27 May: Outing to Pandan Reservoir
• 5 August: Missions Special program
• 30 September: Children’s Day Special program
• 25 November: Combined TCF and VBS outing to Faber Green & Faber Hill Playground

Please pray about inviting children of your love ones and friends to TCF. TCF welcomes all children, from ages 4 to 12, to hear the gospel and to learn God’s Word. Invitations can be found on the display table every Sunday. May God help us to be ambassadors for Christ.

  Message time for the Older children

Message time for the younger children

Junior Sunday School Report 2023

 

Colossians 2:6-7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

 

Our objectives (based on Col 2:6-7) is to lead the children:

1.               to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Receive) 

2.               to obey God and be a good testimony (Walk)

3.               to a vibrant spiritual life (Rooted & Built up)

4.               to a clear understanding of the basic Christian doctrines and teachings in the Word of God (Stablished and abounding)

 

Looking back on 2023, we are filled with thanksgiving unto God. It was only by God’s grace and mercy that we could continue to minister to the children, the parents and the teachers in Truth B-P Church. Praise God for how He enabled the Junior Sunday School (JSS) committee to serve Him in 2023.  This committee consisted of Bro Eric (Young Teens superintendent), Sis Alice (Junior superintendent), Sis Jyh Cheau (Pre-school superintendent), and myself (Geneal & Primary superintendent). Thank God also for Rev Dennis and Pr David who has been sitting in to advise and support this important ministry to the children.

Our church and JSS theme for 2023 remained the same as last year’s, namely “Saved by Faith, Live by Faith” (Galatians 3:11). To help the children better understand the Doctrine of Salvation, the children had three Open Sunday messages by  Rev Dennis Kwok on  “Christ made us free” (March 12), “Free not to sin but be crucified in the flesh” (May 14) and “Free to serve one another by love” (November 5).

The first major JSS event of 2023 was the YT cum Jr retreat (15 to 16 March) during the March school holidays. What was so significant about this retreat was that it was the first stay in 2-day-1-night retreat since Covid-19. The theme was “Ask for the old paths…and walk therein” taken from Jeremiah 6:16: “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Pr David was the speaker of the four main messages. Thank God that we could have this retreat to exhort the youths to walk the old paths and for their good feedback at the end of the retreat. May the Lord continue to move the youths in our church to attend this year’s retreat and also to provide sufficient teachers/helpers to help out.

Another major JSS event was the Teachers’ retreat cum training on 29 June. During the first training session, Pr David spoke on “The Qualifications of a Teacher.” A second training was held on 13 November. Pr David touched on “The Theology of Teaching.” These two teachers’ training sessions were a part of a training program which will be taught over the next few years. In summary, the training program can be broken down into three main parts, namely “the teacher”, “the teaching” and “the taught.” God willing, our teachers will be better equipped to teach God’s Word to the children by the twice-a-year training session.    

Other major events in the JSS calendar in 2023 included Combined Department Easter program (9 April), Combined Department Reformation program (29 October), Vacation Bible School (20 to 22 November), Combined Department Christmas program (24 December) and Promotion Sunday (31 December). Thank God for seeing the JSS through 2023. May God continue to bless this ministry and help the children to know Him and to make Him known. 

Group photo of the YT cum Jr Retreat