Our First Training Day (31 Jan 2026)
We ended January with our first Training Day of 2026. Over 200 adults and children gathered on a Saturday morning to learn and be equipped together.
The morning began with a short “Ask Anything” with Pastor Eugene. Members took the time to ask various questions – on the church, how they can be praying for the church and elders, specific issues etc. It was also a good time for the church to get to know Pastor Eugene.
Following that, everyone split into one of five different tracks that were being taught that morning:
Church Matters
Coping with Life
Evangelism Training
The Bible’s Big Story
When People Walk Away
These classes were specially curated to help members grow in Bible handling skill or equip them to apply Scripture in various situations in life. The classes also helped members see how growth also takes place in community.
For example, Church Matters helps attendees to learn more about GBC. Specifically, it goes through what the Bible teaches about church, what GBC believes and how we can live together as a church. It also walks through membership in this local body. Membership matters because the church matters. And the church matters because it matters to God. The church is central to God’s plan. The story of the Bible shows us how God creates and saves a people, to display His glory throughout all of creation. God saves us as individuals but He does not leave us by ourselves. He saves us into the community, and the church is this gathered community of redeemed sinners. Our mission is to testify to God’s saving power among the nations by proclaiming and living out God’s truth.
Various members share their takeaways from the classes they attended:
“Kudos to Ryan and Nick! The hands-on exercises and discussions really helped bring the techniques of reading the Bible to life. I was also very encouraged by the hearty participation of the group and learnt much from their sharing. The frame we went through is helpful and practical and I look forward to using it to deepen my understanding of the Bible.”
“Attending the Coping with Life workshop came at a timely point in my life. I expected it to focus on managing life’s stresses, but it turned out to be centred on dating and marriage, which was a welcomed surprise. The segment on dating reminded me of the grace God showed Ruth and me during our courtship, and of how He transformed me from an unbeliever to someone who recognises his sin and the truth of Christ’s work on the cross.
Today, I am deeply grateful to be a husband and father of two. The section on marriage was a great reminder amidst the busyness of daily life. It got me to reflect on how small, unchecked quarrels come from selfish desires and the need for us to humble ourselves before God and reconcile. I was especially encouraged by the reminder that when a couple’s relationship with God is strong, the rest will fall into place.”
“As Christians growing in our faiths, we valued our time at the “When People Walk Away” track during the recent EQUIP Training Day. The session began with Elder Nehemiah using Scripture to highlight that sin and worldly deceit are central to why people renounce or abandon their previously professed faith. When sin is left unchecked, it hardens hearts and isolates us from God and His church.
Although it is discouraging and heartbreaking to see people leave the faith, we were also reminded of God’s sovereignty and love, and of the importance of persisting in modelling His love by caring for those who leave, as well as their friends and family in church, and by being a living testimony of God’s goodness in their lives. Through small-group interactions and panel sharing, we discussed real-world experiences and challenges to anchor this message.
It was heartening to learn from saints from all walks of life and hear of those who later returned to the faith after many years of persistent outreach and the church’s faithful display of the gospel. After the session, we were all encouraged that salvation is God’s work. Instead of dwelling in our guilt or shame, we were encouraged to remain faithful and steadfast in trusting our sovereign God.”
“We attended the Evangelism training that had an effective focus on practical, real-life applications. One of the most helpful aspects was the acted-out role plays, which demonstrated how evangelism can naturally happen in everyday conversations. These examples made the process feel more approachable and realistic. We also learned how to use conversational bridges to gently and respectfully introduce topics related to religion and Christianity, helping conversations flow without feeling forced or awkward. We’re thankful for the session and hope to put it into practice. 🙂”
While these classes were happening on level 3, our children were also learning about how “God Always Wins”. This theme will continue to be fleshed out over the next 3 Training Days! It focuses on the greatness of God in salvation, and helps our children see that God wins over everyone and everything.
That morning, our volunteers took the children through the topic, “God Wins Over Kings and Armies”. Through the Exodus account, our children learnt that no one wins at everything except God. God is the only One who wins at everything He does. No one else can do this. There is no one like God and God is greater than all. Even kings and armies do not have the power that God has. He wins over all the kings and armies of the world because there is no king as great as God. Our children enjoyed the time of learning through songs, reading of Scripture, games and craft.
We are thankful for the many volunteers who spent time preparing for this programme and also spent the morning with our children. We are also recruiting more volunteers for the subsequent Training Day sessions! If you are a member, and are available to help with the children (aged 0 to 12 years old), please speak with Siew Ting (siewting@gracebaptistchurch.sg) or Pastor Jeremy (jeremy@gracebaptistchurch.sg).
Our next Training Day will be on 9 May! We will be sharing the classes and topics closer to the date, but in the meantime pencil it down and save the date. Let us look forward to learning together.