Women of Grace 2025: Side by Side
On 1 November, the Women’s Ministry held their Women of Grace event. Usually held once to twice a year, the Women of Grace event aims to bring together women of GBC for a time of equipping and mutual encouragement.
This year, the theme was “Side by Side” and we invited a guest speaker, Elizabeth Baruah, to speak to the ladies. Close to 90 women of different ages – and even some visitors from others churches – came to learn about how women can walk with other sisters in the church to encourage them to remain steadfast and faithful to Christ. Elizabeth is a Biblical Counselor at Elezer Counseling and an online instructor with CCEF (Christian Counseling & Education Foundation). She is also a member of her local church and is experienced and passionate about helping individuals and couples find hope, healing and restoration in Christ.
Loving One Another in the Body
!t was a fruitful morning where we could gather and learn together.
Elizabeth gave two talks. The first focused on how we can love one another in the body. Elizabeth reminded us that as Christians we are disciples who follow Jesus and have experienced God’s love (Jn 3:16). Therefore, we can love God by loving one another with this love (Jn 13:34-35, 1 Jn 4:20-21). We need God and we need others.
Our relationship with Jesus will reflect on our daily life, and we love one another with humility and grace. The life and example of Jesus also helps us consider how we ought to love one another. We enter the world of others and move towards them, as Jesus did for us. We seek to listen to them, look for the commonalities and also see the ways that God is at work. It is also helpful to consider who God is – Creator, Saviour and Sovereign – as well as our identity – saint, sinner and sufferer.
As members of the same body, we seek to speak the truth in love. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 calls us to admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and to be patient with them all. Jesus models for us what this looks like, as he interacted with different people – with the woman at the well (Jn 4), the adulterous woman (Jn 8:1-11), rich young man (Mark 10:17-27) or with the people at the temple (Jn 2:13-22). Romans 12 also teaches us to rejoice and weep with those in the community (Rom 12:15) and to seek to live peaceably with each other (Rom 12:18).
Elizabeth also encouraged us to seek to involve others in the body. Loving a person can look like helping them get help, and not everything has to be done and borne by one individual. In the process of helping others. She also encouraged us to not take it personally as the sin or issues that a person struggles with could manifest in our relationship.
Stories of God at Work in GBC
We heard from some ladies from GBC — (from left) Claire who moderated, Fiona, Pauline, Julie and Helen.
Elizabeth taught from Scripture and also provided a helpful framework as well as practical tips as to how we can relate and help one another. It was a rich teaching session, and the ladies also had a chance to hear from fellow sisters in GBC. The sharing was by Helen Yeo, Julie Hamilton, Pauline Kho and Fiona Wee, with the session moderated by Claire Low.
They were given the following prompts, which might also be helpful for us as we seek to reflect on our own lives or walk alongside others:
What passages of Scripture have been helpful to you?
How have you learnt to receive help? How have your unique life experiences shaped the way you notice and respond to others in need around you?
Who are people you are currently walking alongside and what are some things you are learning?
Who has modeled Christlike care for you in your own journey, and how does that example influence how you care for others today?
How do we bring Scripture into the difficult relationships of life and allow the Spirit to bring change?
How do we talk about difficult things, like sin?
What challenges have you faced in caring for others?
How would you encourage women in this body to take the first step in caring for one another?
The ladies were honest as they shared their struggles and the ways they responded in their difficult and sometimes sudden circumstances – health challenges, caregiving, a child with special needs, facing a job termination, motherhood. They were also clear to point to the ways that God used these challenges to teach them more about who He is, and to draw them closer to Him. They also shared how God used His people to encourage them, and with the comfort they have received, they now seek to comfort and encourage others.
Understanding Biblical Counseling
Elizabeth continued her talk by explaining what biblical counseling is and is not. It is not a Bible study, and neither is it a sermon where counselors speaks and counselee listens. It is not passive but requires active participation.
Biblical counseling operates with the belief that this is God’s world! He is the designer and is sovereign over everything, thus, the biblical worldview is central. The character of the counselor is consistent with the Bible, and themes and goals are consistent and shaped by Scripture. The counselor’s words are informed by Scripture, and Scripture may be used explicitly as required. In biblical counseling. We do not only address spiritual problems and also remember that we are embodied souls. It is needed in addition to other relationship in the body and not as a substitute for other relationships.
As Deepak Reju puts it, “Biblical Counseling is problem focused and time limited version of discipling.”
Elizabeth also reminded us that as we walk with others, we do not have to do it alone. Help is available and sometimes necessary, and we can help them get the help and care they need.
Finally, Elizabeth closed by speaking on the importance of caring for ourselves too. We are limited human beings, and caring and loving others can be hard. We need to also acknowledge the season of life that we are in, or the limited capacity that we have. It is also important to spend time with God and build in rhythms – exercise, be intentional to look at beauty etc.
As we seek to care for others, we are to also remember that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Phil 1:6).” Change can be a slow process but God is at work, and He is not in a hurry. We are called, not to “success” but to faithfulness.
Next Steps
Alas, we were unable to take a photo with everyone!
This session was a rich one, and the ladies definitely had more questions. It is our prayer that they left encouraged to see the ways that they could be reaching out to and loving those around them. Through the talks, sharing and even chatting and getting to know other ladies, we hope that it has encouraged all to see how God is at work in both their lives, and in the lives of the ladies in the church.
We also desire the women of GBC to continue to be teachable, humble and ready to learn. The recommended resources can be found here. This book list addresses general approaches to helping others, as well as more specific topics.
In August to September this year, a group of ladies read and discussed the book How People Change together. This served as a training and equipping platform for women to grow to be better at understanding the process of change in order to apply it in our lives and to help others around us. Sachie, one of the participants, shares her experience here. We also hope to do this reading and discussion again in the second half of 2026. If you are interested, leave your contact information here, and we will contact you once details are finalised.