Traineeship: A Sanctifying Journey
Ng Han Kiat from Leng Kwang Baptist Church took part in our Traineeship Programme from July to November this year. He gives thanks for the traineeship and reflects on how it has been a sanctifying process for him.
Our Lord has been incredibly gracious and abundantly generous in allowing me to be part of this traineeship, so allow me to begin by praising Him for the following:
His timely providence and warm hospitality towards me, as I've experienced the generosity of having this traineeship extended to me despite being from another church.
His steadfast faithfulness as my Shepherd through receiving the hand of fellowship and discipleship from the pastoral staff and various church members of different generations.
His perfect wisdom in helping me to grow in the understanding of Christ’s love for the church, especially its functions, mission and priorities.
His sanctifying grace in allowing me to grow through participation and serving in opportunities where I can, and most importantly, revealing the fleshly condition of my deceitful heart, especially my failures and pride – in this, I cling onto the righteousness of Christ alone and pray that He continues to prune my life while keeping my eyes on Him.
His redeeming love that anchors my identity as His son – not my abilities, skills or possessions, but solely on Christ’s perfect obedience.
Han Kiat and the other trainees
One of my desires for this traineeship was to be able to grow in personal holiness and loving people through His word and His love. Indeed, this traineeship has been sanctifying for both my inner and outer man as the curated books and honest conversations have deepened my understanding of the Church in both theological and practical aspects. As I reflect upon Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16-18, our gracious God has indeed strengthened my personal faith in Christ and grown my understanding of the breadth, length, height and depth of His love that surpasses mere intellectual knowledge. I am thankful to our Father for His wisdom and sovereign plan, Jesus Christ for His atoning work of redemption and restoration, and the Holy Spirit for His enlightenment and empowerment!
Growing in Loving People
One of the most meaningful parts of this five-month traineeship was forging relationships with believers across GBC and Singapore through the Weekender which was a testament to the breadth and length of His love. These relationships have granted me a wider appreciation and remembrance of what it means for Christ to be our peace (Eph 2:14). Though we come from different churches in different countries with different cultures, our commonality is ultimately founded on Christ rather than our interests, life stages, age, preferences and personalities. One such memorable moment was an opportunity for a one-on-one fellowship with an elderly member and being encouraged by the Lord’s faithfulness and sustenance through the history of the church.
Helping out with the trainees
Thank you, GBC, for the privilege to be able to hear and witness how the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Issac continues to be at work in the lives of believers, and I look forward to the day when we all gather as one and worship the Lamb. Until that day comes, I continue to trust in the Lord’s work in preparing us for eternity on this temporal earth.
These various relationships have prompted me to reflect on the key pillars of church life – Discipleship, Preaching, Church Polity, Corporate Worship, Missions and Community – and how each pillar shapes and informs the other. For example, elders modelling the culture of discipleship within the local community will inform and shape the practice of outward missions.
Thus, a biblical understanding of both eldership and discipleship is foundational to the church. Another example is the importance and impact of Preaching and Corporate Worship and how it shapes our comprehension and communication of the gospel. What a privilege to be able to witness and experience an exemplification of God’s church! May the grace of our good Lord continue to bless the elders and congregation of GBC with unity and fruit in their faithful labour!
Growing in Personal Holiness
Through my weekly interactions with the trainees and the pastoral team, the Lord has been gradually expanding my comprehension of His love in ministry – bringing to light the subtle but important balance between being filled with biblical knowledge and being humbled by the glory and mercy of God. I was particularly humbled by the imagery in the book Discipling, which describes discipleship as one beggar pointing to another beggar on where to find bread. A sobering moment for me was realising how much more I could have prayed in my service to the Youth Ministry in my local church with the other leaders. May the Lord continue to sanctify and grow me in my conviction, character and competence as I actively pursue obedience and a desire to be holy because He is holy.
Life After This
As my wife and I prepare to transition into a new season of our life, our foremost priority and prayer request would be for the Lord to grant us the strength, wisdom, patience and faith in Christ regardless of what is to come. Pray for us to continue to view the difficult and painful seasons of our lives as sanctifying opportunities for us to depend on the Holy Spirit, the finished work of Christ and to constantly place our hope in eternal life with the Father. I look forward to the day where I can remember the names of all the saints from all generations whom I have crossed paths with! Meanwhile, please pray that I will continue to lead and grow in the expression of love for my family as a biblical husband.
To GBC: I have been edified by your generosity and love for other churches as it has been a tremendous blessing to my life. Thank you for modelling what it means to be missional in our local context! Shout-out to the trainees for your warm hospitality to me!