Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS)!

DVBS 2024 (to be held 27-29 Nov) is just around the corner, and we’re thrilled to host an exciting and enriching vacation programme designed to help our children grow strong in their understanding of the Gospel and Scriptural truths of our Lord Jesus Christ. With only two weeks to go, it is high time for you to invite and register children for DVBS 2024, which is an excellent opportunity to let them hear and learn of the Biblical promise of “Joy Unspeakable”!

DVBS’s Theme: “Joy Unspeakable”!

In recent years, an increasing concern about the mental health of children and youths in Singapore has been reported. A report in 2020 read: “In just under three years, there has been a fivefold increase in the number of children between the ages of five and nine calling in to their (IMH’s) hotline to seek help.”¹  Another very recent report mentioned: “A significant proportion of youth in Singapore has experienced severe or very severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress, the first nationwide survey on youth mental health by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found. Nearly a third of young people aged 15 to 35 reported symptoms that included feeling empty, tense or upset most of the time, according to the National Youth Mental Health Study.” 

Our children need to know how they can be joyous amidst life’s complex and challenging experiences. There is nothing more vital than that they grow with ‘joy unspeakable’ that God alone provides. Let us pray and bring our children to grow in a close, joyful relationship with God, which He offers to all who come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all who trust in Him.

No level of academic excellence, worldly achievements, comfort, wealth, luxury, entertainment, or recreation can free our children and youth from the grip of sin and its resulting guilt, frustration, fear, and sorrow. Only a life grounded in God’s truth offers true liberation from these burdens. Only when our children grow with the assurance of salvation and a loving relationship with God can they be strong and tenacious overcomers of sin and the trials of this life.

The words of Scripture testify of the divine, supreme, unmitigated joy that God gives to all, both young and old, who trust and walk obediently with Him.  

• Jesus promises, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).
• The apostle Paul testifies in Romans 15:13 – “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”; and in Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith”.
• The apostle Peter affirms the early Christians’ experience: “Whom (Jesus) having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
• The ancient saints of the Old Testament also spoke of the exuberant, divine joy they enjoyed: 
• “Thou hast put gladness (joy) in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased” (Psalm 4:7); 
• “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11); 
• A forgiven sinner said, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5); 
• “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

When Peter wrote about “joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8), he was talking about the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, even though we can’t see Him with our eyes. Although we haven’t seen Jesus face-to-face, we believe in Him wholeheartedly. We know He loves us, saves us from our sins, and is always with us, no matter where or what we go through. This faith in Jesus brings a joy that is so deep; nothing else in the world can compare to it!

When we love and follow Jesus, His Spirit lives in our hearts and fills us with His joy. This joy shines through us like a light in the darkness, showing others that God is real and His love is incredible. It is the kind of joy we desire for our children and youth as they grow immersed in God’s Word, devoted to prayer, consecrated to His praise, and serving others according to His will.

The teachers of God’s Word in the DVBS will explain to children how to experience “Joy Unspeakable”, and how to “Overcome Sadness” through stories of God’s saints in the Bible. Please pray for the teachers of God’s Word to the children during the DVBS to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to minister to them effectively.

DVBS’s Activities

The Gethsemane Children’s Ministry (GCM) has been planning and actively working for several months to organise DVBS 2024. The programmes are designed for children to explore Biblical truths in an engaging and interactive way. They will include a unique blend of creative lessons, singing of spiritual songs, fun activities and meaningful fellowship to help children grow in their faith and build friendships.

Please pray for and cooperate with the GCM committee, that their efforts to nurture our children in a joyful relationship with God may be fruitful.

¹ https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/1-3-adolescents-depression-anxiety-only-1-10-parents-spot-symptoms

² https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/depression-anxiety-stress-1-in-3-youth-in-s-pore-had-had-very-poor-mental-health-says-imh-survey