Pastor Oliver encourages us to prayerfully consider how we can be involved in serving and loving our neighbour, Gladiolus Place, one of the Compassion Ministry platforms of GBC.

In my previous article, I’ve talked about why as Christians, we should be involved in Compassion Ministry. Firstly, compassion is part of the character of God. Secondly, compassion pleases God. Thirdly, the Bible tells Christians to show compassion to our neighbours. And lastly, compassion and good works adorn the good news. Through our kindness to others, we give a beautiful picture of God's love for us. We care for our neighbours and build genuine relationships. These relationships can then provide opportunities for us to share the greatest story of compassion and kindness: that our God has given us His Son to save us from our sins, and we who have received Jesus Christ become heirs of eternal life (John 3:16, Titus 3:4-7). We show compassion to others because we have received mercy and kindness from God.

Do you have to be involved in one of the *Compassion Ministry platforms at Grace Baptist Church (GBC) to be serving and loving our neighbours? The answer is no. If you are engaged in activities in your workplace or neighbourhood that allow you to love and serve your neighbours, e.g. you serve as a vice-chairperson in your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts in helping an orphanage, then, by all means, I encourage you to be committed to that! Then why should we be involved in the Compassion Ministry at GBC? Firstly, this is an excellent opportunity to serve together with others in the church. As we serve and build friendships with our neighbours, we deepen our relationships with others in the church community. Secondly, for others of us who wonder how we can get started in loving and serving our neighbours, these platforms can be helpful places to start. Finally, as part of our Compassion Ministry platforms, we will also be providing opportunities for us to learn, discuss and be better equipped in the area. One such opportunity for us to learn will be our first Compassion Ministry talk for this year by some friends who have been involved with ministry at Gladiolus Place.

Gladiolus Place, our immediate neighbour across the road, is a Christian residential refuge for teenage girls. They provide a safe and loving family environment for every girl who walks through their doors. You can find out more about who they are and what they do at their website. We will be having a talk on Sun 10 Mar at 11.00 am at GBC Level 3 Room 310A-B. We will be hearing from them: What is Gladiolus Place all about? What are they doing? What are their needs? How can we at GBC be involved in caring for our immediate neighbour across the road? So if you are interested in the answers to these questions, I encourage you to come for our first Compassion Ministry talk of 2019 where we have invited some friends who are involved with Gladiolus Place to give us a talk, and they are Michelle Tan (Head of Home, Gladiolus Place) and Charlyn Magnus (Deacon, Redemption Hill Church). There will also be Q&A time for us to interact with our speakers. So see you all there!

*Our current Compassion Ministry Platforms comprise our service to Gracehaven and Gladiolus Place, as well as our Wednesday Tuition Ministry to the children from our Macpherson Neighbourhood. We are exploring a fourth possibility in serving the Elderly in our neighbourhood. Please keep the three current platforms in prayer and also pray for God's leading and wisdom as we explore ministry to the Elderly.

---

Pray for our Missions Team to Pua, Thailand. They will be making a trip from 1 to 4 March. Pray that as they serve the Children at Kathy’s Home, they will have opportunities to build relationships and to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Registration for our Church Camp is ongoing! Be sure to register for the camp! Registration closes end March. You can register at the table at the fellowship hall (level 3) after our EC worship service or register online here.

Pray for God to make hearts tender towards Him as we prepare to hear from the preaching of God’s Word from Romans 3:21-26 this coming Sunday (3 March 2019). Pray for Sam as he prepares the message.