Traineeship: Good Books for Life
Our current batch of trainees have been with us since July, and they are nearing the end of their Traineeship. They will take turns to share their experiences over the next few weeks. This week, Eng Ching shares how the readings have shaped her convictions and understanding of ministry, and ways we can continue to encourage her.
Due to providential timing, I was able to repatriate to Singapore after having worked in Taiwan for about 18 months to start on GBC’s traineeship in July. I enrolled in GBC’s traineeship with the goal of deciding if I would like to be a church worker, if I should attend seminary and if I attend seminary, what should I study. As I did not grow up learning Reformed Theology, I expected to unlearn and relearn things. Thus, at the start of the traineeship, I asked for humility and open to hearing God’s direction clearly.
What Is the Traineeship
Broadly, the traineeship benefits trainees in the following areas:
Christian Book Study
Trainees have weekly book reading assignments and after each reading assignment, trainees are required to complete a reflection paper on how the book readings help shape their faith and ministry in church. Trainees then meet each week with Pastor Eugene to go through each trainee’s paper to get questions/doubts/clarifications addressed and to receive feedback from Pastor Eugene and the trainees.Bible Study
This year, Ruth also carved out time to meet with the female trainees for Bible study each week. Female trainees receive opportunities to practice preparing Bible study materials for Christians and for gospel proclamation. We are also studying the book of Hebrews together.Meeting Our Elders and Deacons
The trainees met with elders and deacons to know more about them, their family and their ministry.Church Work Exposure
Trainees attended the church staff’s meeting, service planning meetings, assisted with and participated in activities organised in church such as the Weekender. This year, we also assisted with projects like the setting up of the First Impressions Team (FIT), coordinating and printing of attendees’ name tags, updating Members’ Directory and assisting staff in anything they think trainees can assist.Church Ministry Exposure
Trainees are expected to visit different care groups, book reading groups, evangelism groups and any other groups the church/groups introduced them to. I think because of the expectation that trainees are interested in church/ministry related work since they enrolled in the traineeship, so groups that I was not introduced to as a member would initiate adding me to their groups.
Read Good Books
Helping out at the Weekender!
I appreciate the book list that was curated for our study which helped to shape me in: understanding Christian doctrines; appreciating biblical and systematic theology; understanding why GBC’s sermons always point to Christ even if the sermon text is from the Old Testament (including wisdom literature like Ecclesiastes); appreciating the considerations that go into the preacher’s crafting of the sermon; considering the ministries a church should focus on to grow healthily; thinking about corporate worship which leads me to watch how I could worship better in a congregation; biblical perspectives of how missions and evangelism should be done; discerning my focus in ministry; understanding biblical counselling.
I even appreciated the order of the book list—how it is important that we read and appreciate doctrine and theology before we move on to other books which are written from the biblical perspectives. So, for those who like me, love to have Scripture supporting every decision on why we do certain things, I think the books in the book list are helpful books to read.
I like to read books that gravitate towards the practice of spiritual disciplines. Thus, I have read very few of the books included in the Trainees’ reading list. So, this traineeship allowed me to read good Christian books that I will not normally read. As I read the books, I grew to learn that it is important to read books that help us grow in knowing God’s doctrine that can shape us to be better equipped in handling God’s Word. To me, sound doctrine is like having good soil and context for the seed—the Word of God—to grow well, and the Word of God can then shape us in our spiritual disciplines, ministries, worship as we journey with the larger body of Christ in church.
So, in terms of the priority of Christian books to read, read for a good understanding of Christian doctrines.
This leads me to one of my favourite books in the list: Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce A Ware.
A Book That Shaped My Convictions
In Big Truths for Young Hearts, Christian doctrines are explained in a way that even an elementary school student can understand. When I began the traineeship, I did not have a clear conviction about biblical manhood and womanhood, and how it played out in the church. I saw how gender roles were played out in the family and marriages but was not so sure about in the church. Thus, I simply agreed with GBC’s practices on biblical manhood and womanhood in the church on the principle of submitting to the church leaders. I deemed the biblical texts on this topic as too difficult to understand and reserved for Bible scholars only. But, during the traineeship, I was encouraged to have my own conviction so that my conscience does not stumble me in faith.
I struggled with forming my own conviction and failed to understand why this is important. I even felt like I was starting to lose my faith, feeling “imagined” peer pressure and if I am a misfit in GBC. But, it was encouraging to learn from Ruth and the trainees that some women take years to form their biblical conviction on this subject, and I was encouraged not to rush the process but remain open to God as I learn in this area.
Thankfully, it was in reading the book Big Truths for Young Hearts that I learnt that God is a God of order and even within the Holy Trinity, each person has a role so that order is kept and not confusing for us to relate with them. This God of order has a design for marriages and the way men and women relate to one another in the church. Thus, now, I have a conviction in biblical manhood and womanhood.
A Book That Helped Me Understand Ministry
Another book that shaped me in the focus of ministry is The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall & Tony J Payne. The book describes vine work as disciple-making work while trellis work is event/program/structures/building based work that may be time demanding but not yielding much fruit. Trellis work is good provided that it supports vine work.
Prior to starting the traineeship, I thought in the absence of work, I will focus my Christian ministry in Christian music. While this is good, the book The Trellis and the Vine encourages me to prioritise vine work over trellis work. Therefore, I decided that after the traineeship ends in November, I will start Semester 2 of the Certificate of Expository Gospel Ministry at Evangelical Theological College of Asia to get a sense of what studying in seminary is like while being equipped for church ministry. As I still have a desire to do missions work but cannot do so now as my family remain as unbelievers, I will apply to the Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics (TESOL) at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) for the semester starting in July 2026 so that I may have the qualifications to enter a “field country” to teach English.
Trusting God for the Future
While I have plans for the future, I am flexible in God’s leading. I have discovered that when I equip myself for the long-term plans I thought He is leading me to, He uses these equipping to accomplish His short-term purposes in shaping me to conform to His longer term plans. So, whether I can finally become a missionary is still uncertain.
But, one thing I am certain! I am enjoying street evangelism, which I had the chance to participate in during this traineeship. Street evangelism helps me exercise my spiritual gifts, my spiritual passion and my capacity to serve. I am glad I finally found a ministry I love.
You can keep me in prayer! Please pray that if God willing, I may pass the English test and succeed in my enrollment to study in SUSS. Also, please pray that God will continue to keep me humble to grow in His Word and ministry and not let life’s distractions and worries cause me to lose focus in doing evangelism and loving my Christian brothers and sisters in church.