Interview with Nicholas
Nicholas Quek joins us as our new Ministry Worker for Youth Ministry, beginning 1 January 2025. Nicholas is not a stranger to some of us, as he has been our member and serving as our Deacon for Young Adults’ Ministry. He was also a part of the Traineeship programme in 2024. Here, we interview him to get to know him a bit better and also learn more about the work that he is going to do.
1. Hi Nicholas! Could you briefly introduce yourself to help us get to know you?
I grew up under Christian parents who showed me Jesus from a young age, and became a Christian when I was a teenager. I was a relatively weak and unstable Christian (though outwardly active in ministry) until a crisis of faith in 2017 drove me to Ephesians 2, where God showed me afresh the riches of Christ and the hope of new life I have in Him. By God’s grace He has kept me in His love, and it has been a continual and growing joy to follow Jesus.
I joined Grace Baptist Church as a member in November 2019 and have been serving primarily in the young adults ministry, and also lead a Care Group that meets around Marine Parade. Prior to this full-time role at GBC, I was conducting due diligence and investigative research in the investment/private equity sector.
I have been married to Aurelia Chan for around 2 years, and we are expecting our first child in May 2025! We have decided on a girl’s name (clue: it’s a plant in the Bible) but are still deciding on a boy’s name (still searching for another suitable plant name from the Bible without much success).
2. What will you be doing in your role as Ministry Worker for Youth Ministry? What are some goals that you are praying towards or things you’re hoping to learn in the beginning as you start this role?
I will be primarily teaching and discipling the youth, equipping and training the youth leaders, and partnering with the parents of youth and the wider church to help raise these youth in God’s ways.
My hope is that the church will continue to grow in their affections for the youth, and desire to help them take hold of Christ for themselves and grow in Him. I also hope to help the youth to see and savour Jesus through His Word, as well as develop meaningful friendships and discipling relationships with other members of the church. I also hope to partner well together with the parents of these youth, who are their primary disciplers.
I hope to learn some Gen Z/Gen Alpha slang (though I hope it does not spill out into my daily speech). On a more serious note, I hope to grow in teaching God’s word with clarity and conviction, and gain pastoral wisdom in skilfully applying God’s word to the hearts of the youth. I also hope to train and equip others (particularly youth leaders and parents) to disciple the youth more effectively.
3. What led you to this job? Has this always been on your heart?
I have been considering full-time pastoral ministry for quite some time, and the traineeship I was part of from July to November 2024 helped to clarify and sharpen that desire. My hope is that through this role, I will continue to grow in my ministry convictions and skills, and be of pastoral usefulness to the church both now and in the future.
Youth was not initially on my mind when I considered full-time ministry, but as I look back on my life as a Christian, it is uncanny to see how God has been preparing me for this. In my previous church, my youth leaders played an invaluable role in explaining and living out the gospel of Jesus Christ to me, and most of my teenage and young adult years were also spent discipling other youth. Needless to say, youth has always occupied a special place in my heart, even if it was not apparent at the beginning.
So I feel the privilege and weight of serving the youth in this role. It is a precious thing to be paid to teach God’s Word and help others follow Jesus, especially to an age range that many would point to as being the first time they understood and believed the gospel.
4. How can the church be praying for you and your family?
Do pray for the youth, their parents, and those of us serving them in this ministry, that together we would behold Christ daily and follow Him faithfully.
Pray that I will lead Aurelia well as we enter this new season of our lives, that I will be faithful to love her as Christ loves His own body, the church. Pray that God would give Aurelia and I strength, wisdom, and hope for the days ahead. Pray that we would be faithful models of Christ to the youth, and help them see Him more clearly.
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Youths, and parents of youth, there will be a lunch fellowship on 9 February, Sunday, from 12.30-1.30pm in Room 310AB. Come and get to know other youths and hear about plans for the ministry in 2025. To help with planning, please RSVP at this link.