Our church esteems the ministry to the children as an important work that the Lord has committed to us. Since 1991, the Lord has given us the burden to reach as many children as possible with the Gospel and also to provide sound biblical knowledge to the children whom God has given us in our church. Since 2008, Pr Kelvin Lim has been appointed to labour among the children. An assiduous GCM Committee (comprising Pr Kelvin Lim, Bro Neo Kian Seng, Bro Kenneth Wong, Sis Choy Luan Kheng, Sis Winnie Yap, Sis Melissa Mah, Sis Kamalamangai) has also been ministering to the children. A good number of our church members also serve on various occasions as teachers, helpers, musicians, drivers, refreshment providers, etc. to attend to the spiritual and physical needs of the children.
We exhort all the parents to do your utmost to let your children benefit from all the various activities for children. Do you know what are the regular activities organized by the church and the GCM committee for your children are?
As a church, it is our duty to carry out God’s will concerning ministering His Word to children. Echoing the Lord’s call to children to come to Him is the duty of all parents and the church leaders. May the Lord help us to accomplish it enthusiastically and effectively.
Now consider the following Biblical passages, which through precepts and patterns sound forth God’s will concerning the ministry to the children:
Deuteronomy 4:9 – “… teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.”
Deuteronomy 6:7 – “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Deuteronomy 11:19 – “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Joel 1:3 – “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
Psalm 34:11 – “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
Psalm 78:2-4 – “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”
Psalm 145:4-6 – “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.”
Proverbs 4:1 – “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.”
Proverbs 7:24 – “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.” (cf. Proverbs 8:32).
Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Mark 10:14-16 – “But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
2 Timothy 3:15 – “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Recently, GCM has resumed the Saturday ministry to our children. The meetings will be held on three Saturdays, simultaneously with Men’s Fellowship (2nd Saturday), Ladies’ Fellowship (3rd Saturday) and Adults’ Fellowship (4th Saturday) at 4 pm. Such GCM meetings are also being held near the venues of the other fellowship groups so that while parents attend their respective fellowship meetings, their children will be ministered to by the GCM. If you need more information on this ministry, please talk to Pr Kelvin Lim or any of the GCM committee members.
GCM T-Shirts: GCM has printed T-Shirts for children and adults who serve in the GCM. Sis Melissa Neo has designed the T-shirts, and our TGCM brethren have printed them. We encourage all the participating children and adults to wear them so that they can be easily identified during the outings to public places like parks.
Neglect not Saturday Children’s Ministry: Our children spend most of their time in the worldly environment of schools and other places of activities. Their hearts are heavily influenced by the materialistic and carnal philosophies of this world. Unless we are diligent to provide for them a spiritual environment where they can have godly teaching and fellowship, they will soon be drawn away by the world. It is a very serious mistake that some Christian parents make by neglecting the special activities planned for their children’s spiritual nurture. The Bible warns parents that a child without constant reproof and guidance will be misled and spiritually ruined. Proverbs 29:15 says, “a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame”.
Spiritual nurture is more important than secular education and all other training. Let not our hearts esteem the pursuit of worldly achievements above the spiritual nurture of our children’s souls. In Proverbs 16:16, we are reminded of the high value of biblical education – “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” Again it is said, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold” (Proverbs 3:13-14).