Baptisms and Transfers – 18 and 25 January 2026
We held baptisms on 18 and 25 January 2026. Members of GBC had voted to receive these six members and six others by transfer at the Members’ Meeting on 11 January 2026.
Baptism is instituted by Jesus to make visible the gospel and to encourage us in the faith. When one goes under the water, we are identifying with Jesus’ burial, and expressing a commitment to put to death our old, sinful self. When one comes out of the water, we are expressing our understanding that Jesus has risen and by having faith in Jesus, alone, we too, remain alive. The act of baptism does not save, but it makes visible our union with Jesus and our desire to follow Him, no matter the cost.
On 18 January, we baptised Jared, Beatrice and Shina.
Jared shared how by God’s grace, he repented and trusted in Christ as a child, but did not learn what it look like to follow and submit Him. It was later on in life that God taught him this important lesson:
… God exposed this idolatry and hypocrisy to me. I let go of trying to control my own life and submitted fully to Jesus as my Lord, recognizing that I am not my own, but belong – body and soul, in life and in death – to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
This period of self-denial and humble submission to God transformed a time of difficulty and depression to one of unspeakable joy. I was filled with love for God and a consuming desire to know him more deeply through Scripture and prayer. I began to understand the significance of the church for the first time, desiring to build fellow believers up in their faith and to share the gospel with unbelievers.
Beatrice shared how reading God’s word showed her clearly who God is. By faith, she trusted in the work that Christ had done, and it gave her true joy and peace:
Reading the Bible shocked me. The Bible was not a scattered list of things to do to live righteously … it was actually one unified, undeniably clear message about Jesus. And Jesus, the very God who has authority over all things, had laid down His own life to forgive me of my sins. I learned that there was no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for His work on the cross set me free from the law of sin and death.
From then on, I truly was free. … my days were no longer filled with fear and confusion, but with joy. I knew my true identity was a child of God, and the more I centered my life around this fact, the more peace, clarity and joy I experienced. I hungered for God’s word, which felt quite literally to me like living water in the desert. And I wanted to spend as much time as I could reading God’s word with others, both believers and unbelievers, to share with them the only source of life and truth that I had found to be reliable in this world.
Next, Shina shared how she was drawn to Christianity because her Christian friends seemed to move through life with certainty and confidence. God worked in her heart and now, she can say:
Looking back now, I was happy in moments but never joyful with a deep reason. While this is widely said, something truly felt missing. Gradually, I started growing curious as to what this reason could be. Fast forward a couple years back when days were filled with transitions, I deeply struggled to reconcile many things in my heart. I started attending church services with a friend and the path forward laid out so timely and perfectly. Then, I thought it was the best year of my life, and parallel to how I told some friends ”knowing God is the best thing that has happened to me.” I do not think I stepped into faith knowing I would make such a statement or feel this way. Yet here I am, and I am thankful for this gift of salvation that is found only in Christ who has set me free from the bondage of sin and given me a new life in Him. I believe Jesus is the only way for me to be reconciled with God, He died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, that only through Him and surrendering my life to Him that I am able to be reconciled with God.
At the end of this service, Pastor Thian Chye presented some of new members — including those who joined us by transfer — to the congregation. Those who joined us by transfer were Kimberley, Wei Ren and Belinda.
(From L to R): Wei Ren, Kimberley, Shina, Jared, Beatrice, Belinda
At our 25 January service, we baptised Gina, Linda and Jonathan. They each took turns to share about how God drew them to Him and worked in their hearts to trust Him by faith.
Gina shared how it a health crisis led her to think more seriously about matters of eternal value, and God used this to draw her to Him:
By God’s grace, the surgery went well ... Deep in my heart, I believe that this healing was not just from doctors but from God. I began to believe that God is real. Slowly, my heart opened, I started to seek God. I was convicted that only through the death of Jesus Christ, that my sins are forgiven and I now have this new life and hope in Christ. Eventually I decided to surrender my life to Him and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
Since then, I have started attending church regularly and joined a Bible study group to learn about the God who gave me peace and strength when I needed it most. Every step has brought me closer to Him.
Because I want to follow Jesus and live for Him, I have decided to be baptised.
For Linda, she struggled and even confronted God in the midst of a health crisis. But God, rich in His mercy, showed her His compassion and grace:
But in that moment of struggle, I was reminded that His blessing had always been with me, that the cancer was discovered early, and that action was taken in time. That brought me great comfort and helped me realise that God had never abandoned me. Even though it took me a long time to truly acknowledge Him as my Lord and Saviour.
Now I understand that I have been redeemed by His blood and the love of Christ who died on the cross for my sins and gave me a new life in Christ, as written in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jonathan testified to God’s grace and mercy in his life:
He keeps showing me how sinful I am but how full of grace and mercy He is. I still have a long journey to go (statistically speaking), and I pray that my growth may bring glory and joy to Him. I believe that as I journey through life, He is always there beside me, guiding me along, and loving me. And I pray that I will never let go of His hand. Psalm 119:111-112 echoes my heart’s desire:
“Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.”
At the end of the service, Pastor Jeremy presented these members, together with Wen Qi who joined us by transfer.
(L-R): Gina, Linda, Jonathan, Wen Qi
What a joy it was to hear their testimonies and be reminded of God’s grace at work in our lives! The church also warmly welcomed these new members and many were excited to chat and get to know them.
Members, if you’d like a copy of the testimonies, write to the church office (info@gracebaptistchurch.sg). If you wish to stay connected with other members, you may request a copy of our Membership Directory (and all subsequent updates to it) via this form on our “For Members” page.
If God has used these baptisms and transfers to prompt you to find out more about membership at GBC, you can also write to us at info@gracebaptistchurch.sg. Our next membership class will be on 9 May 2026.
If you are interested to find out more about this God that they speak about, feel free to reach out to our pastors, elders or your care group leaders! We'd love to chat and share more.