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Baptisms and Transfer - 11 Dec 2016

Baptism 11 Dec 16 hWe warmly welcome six new members to GBC via baptism and transfer: (L-R) Elvira and Samantha via transfer of membership; Stephanie, Grace, Juslyn and Andrew via baptism.

Last Sunday, we have the privilege and joy to witness the baptism of Grace, Stephanie, Juslyn and Andrew. We thank God for their willingness to come before us to testify publicly their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Grace shared with us her faith experience during a school trip to China - how God has intervened so miraculously, demonstrating His faithfulness and sovereignty. She also shared how, after the trip, God has blessed her with people who encouraged and guided her as she learnt more about her faith. Like Grace, we would like to thank Joy for reaching out to Grace to be her spiritual mentor and encouraging Grace by sharing her own life and faith journey.

Baptism 11 Dec 16 cGrace: "If I don't know God, I will never be comforted because the comfort that this world can give me is so limited. But because I know God, I know that there is someone bigger out there who understands me better than myself and that whatever happens, it's not the end of the world because God is my world. He's in control of everything."

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Similarly, we are thankful to the two dear friends of Stephanie who have ministered to her during a period when she left the Christian faith and the church. During this period when she was lost and while staying in the US, she met a housemate who patiently opened the Bible with her and reintroduced Christ back to her life. Two years later when she moved to Singapore, she met Sandra who taught her the Word of God and introduced her to the care group in GBC. She shared, "Through their ministering and testimony of their lives, I come to understand that Christ really is alive in our lives." We thank God for bringing Stephanie back to the body of Christ and we pray just as she has testified, that she "will place my faith in Jesus who provided salvation for me and pledge my life to follow Him till the end of my life."

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Our hearts went out to Andrew as he testified how he found peace in Christ and His love. We thank God for bringing him out of darkness into His marvellous light and we greatly appreciate the GBC members who have been pointing him to Jesus. It is our prayer that we will continue to guide and encourage Andrew as he seeks and honours Jesus above all else. It is also our prayer that "as we abide in His love, we will keep pointing one another to Him who holds us fast".

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Lastly, Juslyn shared how God has blessed her with friends in church who have helped her in her walk with God. Juslyn was born into a Christian family and has been attending church since young. Nonetheless, God didn't have much significance in her life and when her brother left the church, she began to grow skeptical of the people in church. However, things began to change when she started to attend youth camps and Bible study groups. She shared how she came to faith, "I think it was through the camps that I attended, especially the one in 2015, that made me realise how bad a sinner I was and how God has actually been a constant throughout my life but it is just me who have been pushing Him away. And also through the people whom He has placed in my life, who constantly check on me, asking me how I am doing and keeping me in their prayers even when I go MIA (missing in action) sometimes." 

We are so thankful for these four new members of the body of Christ and for all the brothers and sisters in Christ who have come alongside them to guide and encourage them in their faith journeys. Baptism is one of the many steps in our faith journeys and we pray that as a church we will continue to encourage and build them up as they grow closer to God and become what God wants them to do and become. 

Baptism 11 Dec 16 bPastor Ollie praying with the baptism candidates before service.

It also gives us great joy to welcome Samantha and Elvira who have decided to transfer their membership to GBC. Samantha has been attending GBC since 2014 when a friend invited her. She enjoys the preaching and teaching of God's Word and the fellowship of the GBC family, and we want to warmly welcome her to into our midst.

Elvira was baptised in GBC but transferred her membership to another church when she got married. As her parents are worshipping at GBC, she and her family visited GBC regularly during special occasions, and it grew increasingly clear to her and her husband that "GBC is a unique church with at least three generations of worshippers, praising and serving God together." As they prayed, they felt led to return to GBC as they believe that this is what God wants them to do as they seek to grow in Him as a family. Elvira shared, "God has created us to worship Him and I believe that there is no better place for me and my family to do so than at GBC."

What a joyous day it was! 

Baptism 11 Dec 16 gAt the end of the service, Pastor Ian led us to make a covenant before God that we will be faithful stewards of the lives of these new members, that we will speak courage and strength into their lives and provide a safe place where they can exercise their spiritual gifts and test out all that God desires them to be. Amen!