We gathered on 4 October for the last Church Plant Prayer of the year. These hourlong sessions were held on Sunday afternoons in the sanctuary and served as a followup to our series on church planting. Healthy churches are praying churches and thus, in 2026, Pastor Ryan encouraged the church to gather and express our trust and dependence on God in prayer.
It was encouraging to see church members respond. Members of different ages, backgrounds and life stages came and prayed together.
The afternoon began with singing “Be Still My Soul”, and the second stanza of this old hymn is a wonderful expression of trust in a faithful God:
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Ryan led us through a short devotion on 2 Chronicles 20, Judah under king Jehoshaphat had to face the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites. In the face of such a great threat, Jehoshaphat led Judah to seek the Lord and also expressed their dependence on God – “...We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. (2 Chron 20:12c)”
From this chapter, Ryan encouraged the church to seek the Lord, believe His Word and rest in His victory. We then broke up into small groups to reflect and pray. We encourage the whole church to do the same, following the prayer guide:
1. May we seek the Lord (2 Chron 20:11–13) // What fears do you have about the plant?
Praise God for His power and past faithfulness to GBC (2 Chron 20:6–9)
Confess where we lean on our own strength and resources
“We do not know what to do” (2 Chron 20:12): pray for a Core Team who would go and plant, a suitable, affordable meeting space in the West, and elders and deacons for both churches
For all of us, going and staying, to fix our eyes on Him together (2 Chron 20:13)
2. May we believe His Word (2 Chron 20:14–21) // What biblical promises bring comfort?
Thank God the battle is His, not ours (2 Chron 20:15)
For those who go and plant, to trust that God will never leave or forsake them (Deut 31:6)
For those who stay and send, to believe it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)
Give thanks before the battle: His love endures forever (2 Chron 20:21)
3. May we rest in His victory (2 Chron 20:22–30) // How can we rest in Christ’s finished work?
Praise Christ, the greater King who won through weakness
Bring your burdens about the plant to Him for rest (Matt 11:28)
For hearts that keep looking to Him and don’t turn away (2 Chron 20:33)
For the nations to hear of Him and fear the Lord (2 Chron 20:29)
Looking Ahead
Ryan closed the session by sharing some next steps.
Far more than a building or a brand, a church is a people. So over the course of 2027, we will form the team that will go and plant through regular Core Team gatherings.
These gatherings have two goals: to describe what the plant will be like, and to help people discern whether God may be leading them to join it.
Ryan plans to cover topics from preaching to membership to serving to missions, unpacking biblical principles while also addressing many practical questions. The plant will share all of GBC’s convictions, though some expressions may differ.
We are currently prayerfully looking to plant in the west of Singapore, around Jurong East or the surrounding areas. We do not have a specific venue yet, but we are in early conversations about several potential rental spaces (existing church buildings, a hospital chapel, a hotel ballroom, B1 industrial spaces, etc.).
Lord willing, the plant’s “due date” is January 2028.
Core Team gatherings will be held in the sanctuary on Sunday afternoons from 2:00–3.30pm, on these dates:
24 Jan
28 Feb
04 Apr
25 Apr
27 Jun
25 Jul
22 Aug
26 Sep
24 Oct
28 Nov
These gatherings are primarily for GBC members, but all are welcome. If you live in the West, we especially encourage you to come and prayerfully consider whether God may be leading you to join the plant.
We lay all these plans before the Lord. As we read in 2 Chronicles 20, let us keep our eyes fixed on the God who goes before us. We may not know what the future holds, but we can be sure that He does, and that He is in control every step of the way.