In Thanksgiving for the 37th Anniversary of GBPC
Reggor B. Galarpe, Pastor of Gethsemane B-P Church, Cebu City, the Philippines
Dear Pastor, Board of Elders, Deacons, and our beloved brethren at Gethsemane B-P Church (Singapore),
On behalf of the brethren here in Gethsemane BPC, Cebu, please receive our warm greetings on the occasion of your 37th Anniversary!
Every church anniversary is a milestone. It is one special occasion where everyone can rejoice for all the Lord has done in and through the church. And no doubt, the Lord has done great and marvellous things for the work of the Gospel that stretches forth from you in Singapore to the regions beyond, through the various missions enterprises, and even through the Bible Witness Media Ministry – publications, web radio and television.
On the home front, by the grace and mercies of God, the church has flourished in almost every aspect of the ministry, especially in the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word, causing the Church to be firmly established in the faith. Praise the Lord for the life and labours of Pastor Koshy, and the team of committed preachers among you. Likewise for the Board of Elders, Deacons and all the full-time workers, who serve alongside with zeal and fervour. Thank you also, our beloved brethren, for your love for God and His people, as expressed in your service, prayers, and support.
On this joyous occasion, I would like to exhort you with these words from the apostle Paul: “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:5-7).
May the Lord richly bless you and continue to prosper your labours, and enable you to do even greater things for His glory.
Donald dela Cruz, Pastor of Gethsemane B-P Church, Pangasinan, the Philippines
Greetings to Pastor, the BOE and the church on your 37th Anniversary! The Lord has entrusted Gethsemane BPC, Singapore, with many fruitful ministries. Praise the Lord for your willingness to carry the load of the mission churches according to the strength which the Lord has bestowed on you. In spite of your own burdens in Singapore, the church is always thinking of the welfare of the mission stations. Your untiring love and faithful service have encouraged us in GBPC, Pangasinan, to press on to declare the Gospel work in new frontiers.
We are very thankful for your financial support and prayer support for GBPC, Pangasinan. We can focus on preaching the Gospel because of your great help. My family and I can move around to places to preach the Word and, at the same time, be charitable to needy brethren, because of your cheerful giving. Sometimes, we experience bodily tiredness, but your prayers and examples of untiring labour in the ministry help us press on to serve. May the Lord always provide holiness, strength, wisdom and compassion to Gethsemane BPC, Singapore.
The people from the neighbourhood have consistently joined the worship service for over a month. They bring along their children and other relatives as well. We are planning to conduct a 2-day DVBS in May with the children coming mainly from this area. This ministry is more sustainable because of the parents who are also joining the worship service. May the Lord grant us the opportunity to extend the Gospel work to other neighbours.
The Lord is also pleased to open another “Home Visitation and Bible Study” group in Calasiao, Pangasinan. The participants are the new group of people coming from the area. We plan to meet in one house, and another four brethren will join. Our home visits are currently at Binday, Pozorrubio, Binalonan, Asingan, and Lobong. We are visiting them twice a month.
Praise the Lord for the provision and help for us to attend the Combined Church Camp in Cebu, from April 30-May 2, 2025. 19 brethren from here will join the camp. Praise the Lord for the love gift from GBPC, Singapore, which will enable us to give all participants a 50% discount on camp fees. Praise the Lord that we can provide transportation allowance to our carpooling drivers through the gift as well.
Pr Jeremiah Sim
Gethsemane B-P Church’s 37th Anniversary Thanksgiving is a special moment for God’s people to commemorate, reflect, and give thanks (1 Samuel 12:24). This milestone is a heartfelt moment for me to recognise the way God has led, guided and used me to serve Him in this church, and to recollect God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life these many years. The Lord has taught me many spiritual and wonderful lessons through the fellowship of the saints and inspirational sermons by the preachers. Beside these, I thank God for the privilege to serve, worship, and be in prayer in the Lord’s house, week after week. My joy is echoed by the psalmist in Psalm 100:1-5, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
My prayer is that our church will be like a strong tree planted by the river and always nurtured by our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Vine. May we the branches grow to be abundant with fruits and be prosperous in the continually widening work of God in Gethsemane. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Judy Chan
By God’s providence, I became a member of Gethsemane B-P Church seven years ago, and since then, I have been continuously sanctified by the faithful preaching of God’s Word in the church. Initially, coming to church was painful because I often felt ‘broken’ after hearing the sermons as my sins were exposed. But God was merciful not to let me go my own wilful way, and I was reminded by the preaching that “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). As time went by, God was even pleased to use me to serve in the church! Praise the Lord for preserving the purity of His Word in the church!
I am also grateful to the Lord for the godly counsel I’ve received from spiritually mature brothers and sisters in the church. They care for my soul, and the Lord used their counsel to help me to overcome my stubbornness and obey God’s will. The Lord will surely reward their labour! May the Lord also raise up more godly young men to be future leaders of the church, and help them to respond to His calling courageously!
