Coming Together, Looking Ahead
By Ps David Wong
Once again, we are reminded that the leaders we admire and respect can fail us. News coming from our Parliament disturbs and unsettles us. Two pastors have shared their reflections in BPCIS.org.sg. Please visit our website to read them. Also, you may catch a mother-and-daughter report on our recent Pastors & Leaders Retreat, 10-11 July, held in Puteri Harbour, JB. How important it is for leaders to come together and hold ourselves accountable to one another.
We are glad to report the first-ever gathering of pastors’ wives in the inaugural Wives Fellowship on 1 July. Nineteen of them from 10 BP churches met for mutual sharing and encouragement. One of them writes, “I am thankful that many found the courage to share their hearts’ cry in this inaugural fellowship and even more who listened and prayed on meaningfully. It kindled my hope that we can learn to hold out God’s unconditional love and journey with one another towards peace and closure.”
Again, a report has been posted on our website. Following our Retreat, we will have our usual “no agenda” lunch on 8 Aug, with a group of wives joining us. Another group of Chinese-speaking pastors and elders will sit together to consider a Chinese presbytery. Coming together for a meal is a great way of refreshing ties and strengthening friendships.
Still looking ahead, our Annual Presbytery Meeting, held on 23 Sep at Grace BPC, will have Pastor Edric Sng, founder of Salt&Light website addressing us on “Youth Culture”. He recently challenged, “The Church in Singapore is now at a critical juncture, a watershed moment. The statistics show that we are now a Church where, I believe, the majority of us are second-generation believers.” He urges us to pay attention to younger second generation Christians who may not share the zeal, or even the faith, of first generation believers.
After several years of decentralised Good Friday services, we will have a combined service at one location next year. Thank the Lord for making the auditorium and facilities of Anglo-Chinese School Independent at Dover available to us. Our speaker is Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon. Just as exciting is our Retreat 2024. It will be held in a “ship hotel” which was once the Doulos of Operation Mobilisation (OM), now berthed permanently on reclaimed land at Bintan Resorts. Our speaker is appropriately Lawrence Tong, the International Director of OM.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
Pastor David Wong
General Secretary, BPCIS
P.S. Our financial year ends this month. Here is a brief note from our Treasurer, Pastor Daniel Tan:
We thank God for providing the financial resources for the work of BPCIS. Contributions came mainly from the member churches and the offering collected at the combined BPCIS Good Friday services. Through these contributions, we were able during the year to provide the following:
a) Relief Fund: $7,500 to OM Singapore and Habibi International
respectively for the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria; $5,000 for the Bible Society of Singapore.
b) Training Fund: $9,000 to Ambassadors for Christ for training of Pastors in India, $16,000 to Shalom BPC for Singapore Bible College training support.
c) Medical Support Love Gift: $7,500 to 5 retired Pastors & Elders.
d) Seed Fund: $50,000 to Mt Gerizim BP Church to acquire place of worship.
e) Other Expenses: Events and Secretariat.
