Watchnight Service 2025
The Watchnight Service, held in the evening of 31 December, was a time for us to gather as a church family to reflect on the past year. In doing so, we remembered to thank God for His faithfulness and provision, and also commited to following Him in the year ahead.
Joshua Lowe opened the time with prayer and our worship team also led us led us to praise God in a time of worship.
After that, we heard from three members about God provided for them this past year.
Roy encouraged us see God’s hand at work and trust Him.
Testimonies from 2025
Firstly, Roy shared about undergoing a major surgery recently. He thanked the church for praying for him, and shared how he saw God’s hand at work throughout the entire process. God worked through the surgeon, even when the odds were stacked against him. He saw how God answered the prayers of his family and the church who were praying for him, and felt God’s peace throughout the process. He encouraged the church to remember that God is real and very much at work in our world and lives today. He also exhorted us to continue reading God’s word, and testified to how Scripture brought him through this crisis.
Next, Hannah, our missions trainee, shared one specific instance that she saw God at work and learnt to trust Him. During her time there, the area she was in experienced severe flooding. This happened a day before a trip by some GBC folks, and she was anxious. She shared how she was excited to meet friends from GBC and had already planned the itinerary for them, and her plans might not come to fruition. She saw how her anxiety and self-reliance was also her resisting God’s sovereign rule, and was thankful for the gospel again. God was kind and gracious, and the weather improved and the team was able to visit her without any issues. Hannah reminded us that God’s plans are better than anything we can come up with.
Finally, Swee Kiat shared about how he learnt to trust God afresh. He shared how his wife, Fee Chin, recently suffered a fall and fracture. During her recovery period, they had to change their lifestyle and it was not always easy. They learnt to trust God to heal her and to trust in His timing. The inconveniences during this time also taught them to love and serve each other in new ways. As a couple, they also realised the importance of the community that supported them in prayer.
Joshua closed this time of sharing by thanking God for HIs provision and faithfulness to these members, and also for us as a church.
Pastor Ryan also led us in a prayer of confession. We remember that we are not yet home. 2025’s resolutions come and go no matter how hard we work. God has been gracious to give us many joys, and also sorrows and through it all, Christ holds on to us.
Message from Psalm 124
Nicholas preached from Psalm 124, the end of our “Pilgrim Songs” series. He began by posing this question: Who did you rely on in 2025?
The person, people or things we trusted in in 2025 are likely to be the ones that we continue to trust in in 2026. From Psalm 124, Nicholas encouraged us to remember the danger God helped us escape and rely on His help today, so that we can proclaim with Israel in Psalm 124:8, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
From Psalm 124, we understand our danger, our escape and our response. God has preserved us in 2025, both individually and as a church. As we gather at this Watchnight Service, let us remember that we are present because God has preserved us. Let us also be thankful that we are still a Christian because God has protected us this year.
The psalm also teaches us that real joy comes because we have been protected from real danger. Our help comes from God alone and God has made a way of escape for us. Do we recognize the danger of our sin? Will we turn from our sins and follow Jesus? Our shared salvation and shared story is the most important testimony that we all share. We were in danger and turned from our sins and experienced God’s rescue. Notice the corporate nature of this rescue. God helped us to escape.
How then should we respond? Psalm 124:8 speaks of God as “LORD”, using the covenantal name of God. We are meant to think about the relationship God establishes with His people. We can pray and bring difficult circumstances to Him. As Romans 8:1 teaches and assures us, we can be confident that God is on our side. Trust in the Saviour God sends. Today, we are still waiting for our final escape, when Jesus comes again. Let us therefore wait well.
Who will you rely on for help in 2026?
Small Group Sharing and Prayer
Members then had a time to share about their year and pray together. Consider using the questions too, to reflect on your past year and how you can trust God in the new year:
How has God delivered you from danger this year?
How does remembering your salvation encourage you?
In the new year, how can you help others rely on the LORD for help?
Dinner Fellowship
We drew the Service to a close, but many members stayed for dinner! It was a time to meet and get to know each other, and spend some time together as the year drew to a close.