1. Baptist Centre - Update
The continuing journey in acquiring the Baptist Centre for the Convention and the Baptist Theological Seminary is exciting and holds many challenges to experience God for real. We are comforted to know that this is in step with the Lord’s blessing upon the Baptist community and holds great potential for new opportunities to obey Him in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Commander in Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent out flyers to member churches requesting them to hand them out to church members. The flyers contain useful information about the Baptist Centre and a response slip requesting for donations. We appeal for another round of generous donations from Baptists for our very own Baptist Centre. Church members are encouraged to channel their donations and response slips to through their churches. Cheques should be made out to “Singapore Baptist Convention – Baptist Centre” and if mailed to us, please include your name and address for us to mail you the official receipt.

During the next few weeks, staff from the Convention and BTS are going around member churches to present the needs and challenges of the Baptist Centre. We value your partnership in prayers for the Lord to guide the Singapore Baptist community in this defining moment to secure a permanent home for BTS and to seize the rare opportunity of building a synergistic relationship with the Convention to serve the Baptist community, in Singapore and the region.

In the initial weeks after the official announcement of the purchase of the Baptist Centre, we are greatly encouraged to receive the following pledges and donations:

(a) Pledges / Donations from Churches: $376,000
Queenstown BC:        $300,000
Shalom BC:                $36,000
Acts BC:                    $25,000
Bauhinia BC:               $15,000 plus two offering collections

(b) Pledges / Donations from Individuals: $91,000
We shall also provide regular update of the pledges and donations received through our website at www.baptistconvention.org.sg

2. Special Concert by Members from Japan Baptist Convention
More than 20 members from different churches of the Japan Baptist Convention is in Singapore this week to share their testimonies through music and songs. Our member church, International Japanese Church, Singapore (IJCS) is staging a special concert on Saturday, 10 September at the Japanese Association Auditorium (120, Adam Road), commencing at 4.00 pm. Invitations had been sent earlier to member churches to share in the joy of this occasion. The music team also wants to express the appreciation on behalf of the Japan Baptist Convention for the prayers and donations from the Singapore Baptist Convention towards the relief mission resulting from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear leak that occurred in North Eastern Japan recently.

Rev Otani, Pastor of IJCS wants to extend the invitation to the concert to other Baptists, besides the church pastors. The concert features the Japan Baptist Convention Music Mission team presenting choir, solo, duet, flute, pianist and handbell performances.

3. BTS: Lay Leadership Development Programme

The next Lay Leadership Development evening course will be starting at the end of September.  Leadership renewal is often seen as desirable so that a fresh perspective could be injected into pastoral and spiritual leadership. One aspect in leading effectively could perhaps be found in understanding the management of resources and circumstances. The 3Q LLD module on Spiritual Leadership and Strategic Management for Organizational Renewal: Lessons from the book of Nehemiah seeks to examine the key components for effective spiritual leadership. The course aims to help participants understand that fulfilling God’s mission for the individual and the church sometimes involves balancing spiritual discernment with strategic planning. Resisting change is often a hurdle that needs to be crossed and the challenges to change and responses to that will also be examined.

The lecturer is Rev Richard Loh, the English Congregational Pastor of Queenstown Baptist Church. He is passionate about preaching, teaching and intentional discipleship. Prior to serving as a minister of God he has 17 years of marketplace experience in various management positions. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry degree with Fuller Theological Seminary.

Details and registration are available through www.bts.org.sg. Please contact Sharon Ang (6472 0091) if you need more information.

peter tang
for Christ and baptist unity