Three Thanksgivings from the Weekender
We have previously shared why we hold the Weekender, as well as some of what the participants learnt on the first day of the event. In this article, we will share some thanksgivings as we reflect on the weekend that was spent together.
For four days, we hosted about 85 participants at our Weekender. These men are full-time staff and lay elders, ministry workers, deacons or just members of their local churches, who desire to serve the church. They also joined us at our worship service on Sunday, 14 September. It was a joy to worship God together with them, and they definitely added to the volume of the congregational singing that morning!
There are many things to be thankful to God for. He worked through different people and situations to provide for the Weekender at every step of the way. Here, we highlight three key areas.
Grace-filled, humble hearts
Participants interacting with the speaker during one of the talks.
The Weekender schedule had lots of teaching sessions on different important aspects of church life – gospel community, preaching, elders and raising elders, church membership, church discipline etc. The goal was to help participants rightly handle the Word and seek to organise the church as God designed it to be. This was the constant and key focus of the talks, and the speakers often began by teaching from Scripture, before illustrating how it could look like in the church. In doing so, the speakers were seeking to help participants to understand the key principles from Scripture, while recognising that the specific form could vary from culture or country.
The participants also had time to hear from different ministries in GBC, as well as learn about ways the church can send members out through missions, church planting and church revitalisation. Through these workshops and panel discussions, the participants were equipped to think about ministering to members of different demographics in the local church while recognising the importance of the local church, as well as sending members out to strengthen and encourage other churches.
One of many Q&As where participants worked through what they heard and sought to apply it.
The participants came with humble, teachable hearts. They eagerly listened to the teaching, and processed what was said and sought to apply it to their context. They were thinking about their congregation and the people they ministered to. This was evident from the lively group discussions that they had, and also during Q&A sessions. The questions were often thoughtful and thought-provoking, and often, there were so many questions that it exceeded the allotted time!
Many also came in a team, and this proved helpful as they also spent time discussing what was heard for their context. As Greg from International Church of Mont Kiara shared at our Members’ Meeting, coming as a team allowed them to also spend time together and share about what stood out for them.
Some of the resources that we put into the hands of the participants.
During the Weekender, the participants were given out books to encourage them to read good literature on the topics that were being taught and shared. Many were excited by this, and they also requested for more! Our trainees also ended up putting up the books from the bookstore for sale. We are blessed to have ready access to good literature but this may not be the case for some countries. We were encouraged by their desire to seek out good resources and bring them back to their local churches.
Gospel partnerships
A panel discussion with some of our partners.
This Weekender was a result of our own gospel partnership. We sought to model what it can look like to work together with our gospel partners to build up local churches. We are aware that we are not alone in this work, and are working alongside other believers in other churches. Pastors Matt and Danny from Bangkok City Baptist Church and Pastor Mark who is based in East Asia were involved in the planning process, and also came down to speak at the sessions. Bangkok City Baptist Church is no stranger to us, as we have been partnering with them in their work of translating good books into the Thai language. We have also sent one of our members to intern with them for a short period of time too. Pastor Mark is also no stranger to us and we were glad to have him back.
It was beneficial to hear from these pastors. These pastors are shepherding in contexts different from ours, and were able to share insights based on their experiences in different countries. It was definitely helpful for our participants to hear from them!
We pray that this Weekender will be one where the participants can establish and deepen friendships and gospel partnerships with other churches in the same country or even across nations. Pastoring is often laborious and can be lonely work, and these men also need good gospel friendships to encourage them, and at times, even bring a timely word of truth in love. Some of the participants were also from churches that we have been seeking to encourage and work with. These include Covenant Baptist Church – who currently use our facilities on Sunday afternoons – and Leng Kwang Baptist Church – where one of our trainees, Han Kiat, is from. There were also pastors and elders from Grace International Church and Johor Bahru Baptist Church, churches where our pastors and members have been following up with. We pray that the participants will continue to grow these friendships after this Weekender, and seek to find ways to partner and encourage each other for the gospel.
Generosity and hospitality of the church
It was also incredibly heartening to see the church participate and show generous hospitality to our participants. Members who had a spare room or two hosted the participants. Some volunteered to take them out to see the sights of Singapore and try some local foods too. It was encouraging to see different ones, some with their families in tow, take the participants out and in the process, get to know them.
During the course of the Weekender, some members came down to help out with whatever help was needed. Together with our trainees, they ensured that the whole Weekender could take place smoothly – meals were served, coffee and tea were always available, cups were washed, rooms were set up, mics could be passed around, slides could be projected, etc. These behind-the-scenes work can often go unnoticed, but are also very important to ensure that the programme could run smoothly.
Church members also welcomed the participants and their families warmly on Sunday! Despite some minor inconveniences – such as the lack of parking on Level 2, or a slightly fuller sanctuary – members took it in their stride. Members also warmly welcomed the visitors and struck up conversations. Our Sunday School and Nursery volunteers also warmly welcomed the children of some of these participants too. Many also stayed to have lunch with the participants after the Members’ Meeting.
Indeed, many of the participants expressed their gratitude for your warmth, hospitality and generosity.
A new venue for this month’s Members’ Meeting.
Though this year’s Weekender has ended, there are still many ways that we can continue to participate. Firstly, pray for God to bring about fruit in His time as the participants head back to their churches. Pray that their churches will be built up by faithful preaching and also wisdom for them as they lead and serve their respective churches.
Secondly, continue giving faithfully. We are able to host the Weekender because of the faithful giving of members to the needs and work of the church. This included giving of every kind — monetary, time, energy etc. We thank God for the members’ generosity and pray that through this Weekender, we can get a glimpse of how God uses our giving to build up churches beyond our own.
Thirdly, as the year-end holidays draw near, many may take the chance to travel. Consider visiting some of these churches to encourage them if you can! God can use us to strengthen and encourage other believers, and we too, can be built up when we worship with other believers in a different country or culture. If you need recommendations for churches to visit, feel free to reach out to the elders (staff and lay) – they would love to share with you!
We are humbled by the ways that God has provided for this Weekender and thank Him for His provisions. Through this Weekender, we also saw the work that God is doing among the nations. As Luke 10:2 reminds us, the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Let us “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Lk 10:3) and be quick to obey Him wherever He places and sends us to.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
(Colossians 3:17)