ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT
Ministries of Tabernacle Bible Presbyterian Church
May 2018 – Apr 2019
Report by Clerk of Session
The Lord has blessed the ministry of Tabernacle BPC over the years. Great is the faithfulness of the Lord (Lam. 3:23).
The following is a summary of the ministries of Tabernacle BPC. The report was compiled with input from the various coordinators of the ministries.
Church Session
Pastor Clement Chew was ordained as a minister of the gospel on 6th May 2018. He was elected to be pastor of Tabernacle BPC on 1st July 2018. The current Session consists of Rev Clement Chew (Chairman), Elder John Leong, Deacon Lim Teck Beng (Clerk of Session) and Deacon Wee Bo Hao (Treasurer).
Worship Service
English Worship Service
From May to October 2018, the Church held its Worship Service every Lord’s Day, 3 pm at Changi Bethany Church, 694 Upper Changi Road East. Since November 2018, the Church held its worship service every Lord’s Day, 2 pm at PSB Academy STEM Campus, 11 Lorong 3 Toa Payoh. The pulpit is jealously guarded. Only preachers of the same doctrinal persuasion (i.e. of the reformed faith), taking a stand for biblical separation and standing squarely on the perfect inspiration and perfect preservation of Scripture, were invited to preach the Word. Besides Pastor Clement Chew, preachers Rev (Dr) Jeffrey Khoo, Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew, Rev Tan Kian Sing, Preacher Ko Ling Kang, Preacher Li Ya Hui and Brother Samuel Joseph have preached in the past year.
Chinese Worship Service
The Chinese Worship service is held at 2pm every Lord’s Day. The average attendance is about 25-30. The Lord’s Supper is conducted by Pastor Clement on the 2nd Sunday of each month, who also preaches. Preacher Ya Hui preached twice a month during his time in Singapore, and Elder John preached on the remaining Sundays. Currently, Preacher Zhu Jian Wei from True Life BPC and Elder Choong Sin Chun from Calvary Pandan BPC preaches once a month respectively.
Ushers and Greeters
The Ushers & Greeters Ministry is responsible for seating church members, guests and maintaining order during the worship service at each Lord’s Day.
The ushers collect the tithes, while the greeters welcome church members and guests.
Aside from the Lord’s Day service, the ushers and greeters team also served during the Good Friday Combined, Christmas Eve Combined and Watchnight Combined services.
There are 14 church members serving faithfully in the Ushers & Greeters Ministry.
Church Activities
The following are some notable church activities between May 2018 to April 2019:
Worship Services
Good Friday Combined Service, Easter Sunrise Service, Easter Combined Baptismal Service, Church Anniversary, Christmas Eve Combined Gospel Service, Watchnight Combined Service.
Gospel Outreaches:
1 May Chinese Gospel Meeting, Mid-Autumn Chinese Gospel Outreach, English and Chinese Gospel Worship Services, Vacation Bible School, Christmas Carolling and Tracting.
Other Activities:
English and Chinese Bible Seminars, National Day Church Outing, Children’s Day Outing, Sunday School Teachers’ Training.
Baptism, Reaffirmation of Faith, Transfer of Membership
Tabernacle BPC held her annual Easter and Christmas Combined Baptismal Services. The following are those who were baptised, reaffirmed their faith, or transferred their membership to Tabernacle BPC:
Believers’ Baptism (5)
Cheung Tin Hang Ivy
Geraldine Maria Khan Dabara
Lai Sai
Poon Yan Ning, Eunice
Puay Kim Hock
Infant Baptism (3)
Chiang Shi Zhuo, Isaiah
Ler Yi Shin, Benjamin
Phoon Qian Ren, Philemon
Reaffirmation of Faith (1)
Hannah Yeow Hsien Le
Transfer of Membership (1)
Hew Sin Ee, Miranda
Prayer Meeting
English Prayer Meeting
The English Prayer Meeting was held every Tuesday at 8.15pm. from May 2018 to February 2019. Since February 2019, the prayer meeting was changed to 8pm. The average attendance is about 15 people. A typical prayer meeting is divided into three sections: (1) Exhortation from God’s Word; (2) Corporate Prayer for the Church; (3) Intercession for One Another.
Chinese Prayer Meeting
The Chinese Prayer Meeting is held every Tuesday at 8pm. The average attendance is 8 people. It will begin with a hymn and exhortation from God’s Word. It is followed by prayers for the church items and then with individual sharing and praying for one another. Elder John, Preacher Ya Hui, Brother Hong Hao and Brother Nick Phoon took turns to lead the prayer meeting each week. Currently, it is led by Elder John, Brother Nick Phoon and Brother Boon How.
Sunday School
Adult and Youth Sunday School
The Adult and Youth Sunday School seeks to ground members in the Holy Scriptures. It is held every Lord’s Day from 4.15 pm to 5.15 pm. It was attended by about 35 people, with a good mix of youth and adults. The class is currently studying the book of Isaiah.
Chinese Sunday School
The Chinese Sunday School was taught on Systematic Theology: Soteriology – Knowing Salvation by Preacher Yahui, who completed the series based on the book “Theology for Every Christian” by Rev Timothy Tow and Dr Jeffrey Khoo. The Chinese Sunday School is attended by about 18-20 people. Currently, Elder John is teaching on the Gospel of John.
Basic Bible Knowledge Class
The Basic Bible Knowledge Class was held for 12 weeks before each Combined Baptismal Service (Easter and Christmas). The students were taught basic doctrines of the Christian faith and of the Bible-Presbyterian Church. Classes were conducted by Pastor Clement Chew and Elder John Leong for the English and Chinese classes respectively.
Little Ark
The Little Ark is a Sunday School for children from Primary 1 to 6. Eight teachers serve in the Little Ark, they are Sisters Mee Mee, Shuping, Bee Pheng, Tammy, Shuhui, Rachel, Sarah and Brother Boon How. It is at-tended by about 8-11 children each week. The lessons this year are taken from the Acts and Revelation. There were 2 filler series on Christian Virtues taught by Sister Keturah, as well as Special Occasion Messages taught by the Little Ark Teachers.
Tabertots
The Tabertots Sunday School ministers to children from 3 to 6 years old. The aim is for the children to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour from a young age. In the past year, it was regularly attended by about 5 students. The series currently taught covers various aspects on what it means to trust in the Lord.
Discipleship Class
The Discipleship Class ministers to students from Secondary 1 to 3 and has a 3-year curriculum. It is attended by 7 students. For the past year, Elder John Leong, Bro Hong Hao and Dn Bo Hao taught the West-minster Shorter Catechism and Church History. The students had also at-tended the Basic Bible Knowledge Class earlier this year.
Domestic Helper Class
The Domestic Helpers Ministry was set up in November 2009 to share God’s Word to the domestic helpers in our Church. To date, 12 domestic helpers have joined the class. It is currently attended by 3 students – Naw Lar Bawe Paw, Tanuruh and Ester Lita. Residents from Simei Care Centre, Serene and Susan, also joined the class. The teachers are Sisters Shuping, Dorcas, Bee Pheng, Tammy and Doris. The class is currently doing a series on Women of the Bible.
Missions and Evangelism
Missions
A team of 5 went to Vietnam, Ho Chi Min City, to conduct a 3-day VBS in a village church at Phu Ly for about 100 children from 4-6 July 2018. The VBS theme was Life of Paul. The children in this church are from the mountain areas with no one to look after them.
Elder John went to Nepal with a team from Calvary Pandan BPC to minister at Kathmandu BPC. The Calvary Pandan team conducted a 3-day VBS from 14-16 October 2018 for about 80 children. Elder John conducted a 3-day Adult Bible Seminar to about 25 church members after the VBS ended, from 3.30-6pm.
A team of 9 went to Myanmar, Yangon at New Life Student Centre to conduct a 3-day VBS from 1-3 April 2019. About 120 children attended the VBS. The VBS theme was Life of Abraham. The team also went to 3 village churches in the evening after the VBS ended to share God’s Word to the adults and children.
The Church provides physical and spiritual support to Preacher and Mrs James Tan, serving in Bible College of East Africa, Kenya. The Church also supported the theological studies of Preachers Li Ya Hui and Wang Shuai Yong in the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) and is supporting Sister Rachel and Brother Deih Piang in their FEBC studies.
Evangelism
Door-to-door evangelism was held every first Saturday of the month from May 2018 to November 2018. Since December 2018, church evangelism was held every first Sunday of the month. It is currently held after the worship service at 5.45pm. Average attendance is about 20 people from both the English and Chinese Congregations. The Chinese Congregation focused on street evangelism while the English Congregation evangelised from door to door.
Choir Ministry
The Church Choir met every Lord’s Day for practice excluding the 5th Sundays of the month. Over the past year, the Church Choir rendered several Praise and Thanksgiving items on the following occasions: Tabernacle BPC 31st Anniversary service, 1st May Chinese Gospel service, English Gospel service, Reformation Sunday service, Christmas Eve Gospel Combined service, Good Friday Combined service, and Easter Combined Baptismal service. Each practice session is attended by about 8 to 12 members.
Church Website
The church website is maintained by Brother Desmond. Recordings of Lord’s Day sermons, church camp and other messages, weekly articles, and verses of the week are available on the website. The website is also used for publicity and registration for church events such as camps.
Fellowship Groups
Adult Bible Study
The Adult Bible Study meets once a month for 10 sessions of Bible Study, a Gospel Meeting held in June and an Outreach activity in December. The meeting is normally held on the third week of each month in a member’s home and the average attendance was between 25 to 30 people.
Elder John taught on the topic “The Danger of Loving Money” in May 2018. For the second half of the year , Pastor Clement taught on Systematic Theology – Theism (Knowing God).
Chinese Fellowship
The Chinese Fellowship meets once a month at different members’ homes to listen to God’s Word and to fellowship one with another. The average attendance was about 18. From May to December 2018, the messages were centred on the overall theme of “Building Up One Another”. For 2019, the overall theme was “Keeping our Heart” taken from Proverbs 4:23. Speakers for Chinese Fellowship were Rev Clement Chew, Elder John Leong, Preacher Yahui, Brothers Nick Phoon and Hong Hao.
Shomerim
Shomerim Young Adult Fellowship meets on the first three Saturdays of each month at the homes of its members. The average attendance was about 10. The group completed a study on the book of Ecclesiastes and learnt practical topics such as “Handling our Money” and “Honouring our Parents”. Last June, Shomerim had a combined camp with Ebenezer Youth Fellowship in Mersing, with the theme “What Doth the Lord Require of Thee?”.
Ebenezer
Ebenezer Youth Fellowship meets every Saturday at 2pm in the home of Elder John Leon. Elder John is the advisor, Sister Rachel is the leader and Brothers Gideon and Javan are the assistant leaders. The average attendance was 18.
Pastor Clement and Elder John speak to the group typically once a month. Some topics that the group studied about include: The 7 Deadly Sins; Bible Study on the Prophets of the Old Testament; Book study on I & II Thessalonians and the Heroes of Faith from Hebrews. In June 2018, the youths and young adults had a combined camp in Mersing on the theme ‘What doth the Lord require of thee?’ by Preacher Joshua Yong. In December 2018, the group had its annual Christmas Gospel Chalet.
Elder John taught on the topic “The Danger of Loving Money” in May 2018. For the second half of the year , Pastor Clement taught on Systematic Theology – Theism (Knowing God).