Why Plant Churches?
Our elders have shared about our desire and plans to plant a church at various platforms over the past few months. Over the next few weeks, we will publish a series of articles that will hopefully shed light on our motivations and how we can embark on this together as a church.
As we pray about taking concrete next steps for church planting, it is also important to reflect on why we should plant a church and more fundamentally, why does GBC exist?
Our Identity
Throughout the Bible, God’s people and the gathering of God’s people serve a specific purpose – to display His glory and make Him known. In the New Testament in particular, the church does this by declaring and displaying the gospel. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:10 that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Paul devoted his life to making Christ known. Paul thus made it his “ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Rom 15:20). Where Paul preached and unbelievers were converted, churches were planted. We know this because of his instructions to Timothy and Titus to ensure that each planted church had elders and overseers (1 Tim 3:1, Titus 1:5).
Churches are the primary vehicle for this disciplemaking.
Thus planting churches is a significant way that we go into the world with the Gospel. Jesus’ final charge to His disciples is through the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” By making disciples as we baptize and teach, we walk alongside fellow believers as an established church. Churches are the primary vehicle for this disciplemaking.
Our Purpose
GBC desires to fulfil the Great Commission as a disciple-making church that transforms lives with the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ. When Baptist missionaries Ms Lora Amelia Clement and Ms Dorcas Lau came and shared the gospel with locals, their ministry bore fruit through conversions and the believers came together to form our church.
The Great Commission continues to be our concern.
Some 65 years from our founding, the Great Commission continues to be our concern. We are disciples of Jesus who should be about the Master's business to go, and we should aim to bear spiritual fruit that abides (Jn 15:15-16). Our church resources should be used for God’s kingdom agenda and the planting of thriving churches. The church is the precious bride of Christ. He gave Himself up for her, sanctified her and cleansed her unto holiness to be one in union with Him (Eph 5:26-27). Jesus is committed to building His church so that the gates of hell will not prevail over it (Matt 16:18).
Our Plans
In a more immediate sense, how should we steward GBC's strong growth over the last six years? How should we use our God-given resources? These questions are behind our proposal to plant a new church.
This past Sunday, Pastor Eugene shared that we have begun our search process for a pastor to lead a potential church plant in another part of Singapore. The elders have put together an information booklet, which was distributed after the service and also emailed to members. If you are a member and did not receive it, please check with the church office or email info@gracebaptistchurch.sg.
More information will be shared at the upcoming Members’ Meeting on 12 January, and members are encouraged to attend a Prayer and Sharing session on 19 January too.
This desire to plant is not a new idea and has been on the hearts of members now for quite a few years. More recently God provided expertise in the form of Pastor Mark Collins, who shared insight and advice for how we should go about this. God also gave us a unity of spirit as leaders prayed and developed plans. In 2024, we had budgeted for a Pastor of Church Planting and Missions. At our recent EGM in November, the members voted in agreement with a proposal to set aside funds from our reserves that will go into this church plant. This was after the warm support and encouragement from our Chinese Congregation, without whom these plans would not be possible.
Over the next few weeks, we hope to share more about these plans and how the church can participate in prayer as we seek God’s direction. The elders would like to encourage members to attend the upcoming meetings. Members with questions or concerns can speak to any of our elders in person, or write to them at plant@gracebaptistchurch.sg.
This is an exciting time for us as a church, and it is also one that will challenge and stretch our faith. But we trust that God continues to be faithful and good, and is at work in our midst so that we – His church – can be presented holy and blameless when He returns.