By Elder Glen Tan
Last weekend, we were treated to a wonderful performance from our children from Kids for Christ (KFC) to celebrate Teachers’ Day. It was particularly moving to see the kids from the Saturday Inclusive Class joining in, praising God and thanking their teachers for their hard work. What made it even more special was the fact that this was the first children’s performance at our worship services in almost 3 years, having had to adhere to safe management measures all this while.
As we celebrated Teachers’ Day last week, I would like to take this opportunity to write a note of thanks to the Bible teachers in our midst. In a church like ours that places heavy emphasis on the Word, the role of these teachers takes on great importance, not just for the children, but for all believers, especially recent converts and those who want to know more. Much time and commitment are needed from the teachers to first study and understand the Word themselves and then to teach it. These teachings sow the seeds of Scripture in our hearts, so that at different seasons of our lives, we will remember these lessons and words of encouragement and find hope to press on. For the KFC teachers, their task is made even more challenging as they have to plan a series of activities for each lesson and attend to children with a diverse range of needs, behaviours and attention spans. The commitment required of them is for consecutive weekends over 3 to 4 months. In fact, some have graciously chosen to extend their term of service beyond the initial period. Their work has not been easy and will probably get even more challenging in time to come. Therefore, I thank our KFC teachers for answering the call to nurture our young ones in the faith. I want to especially thank the teachers of the Inclusive Class for their dedication and thoughtfulness in planning lessons that include and engage the children with special needs in their class. This is the first year that we have been so intentional in reaching out to such children, and I am happy that this effort has taken off.
We have all heard the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. In the same way, I believe that it takes a church to grow a Christian. While parents remain the primary source of biblical teachings for a child, the teachers in church remain an important part of the believer’s spiritual growth. I myself have been a beneficiary of the dedication and tireless commitment of my Sunday School teachers in my growing up years. In the video featuring KFC shown last weekend, you would have heard the call for volunteers to teach at KFC. Our young ones are in need of teachers who are passionate for the Word and God’s work to build them up in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For those who may feel inadequate, guidance and training will be provided. Would you consider answering this call for an initial period of a few months?
Finally, to those of you who play a teaching role in the church at our services, KFC, Teenacity, BCTI, CGs, ad-hoc seminars, Chinese Ministry Bible classes or the EquipAsia Program, a very big THANK YOU to all of you for what you do. On behalf of the church, I would like to wish you all a very blessed Teachers’ Day!