24 & 25 October 2026 (Pastoral Page) BEYOND THE VOTE: GUARDING OUR SPIRITUAL HOME
by Elder Tan Chin Tiong
Imagine a master shipbuilder crafting a vessel designed to cross a stormy, unpredictable ocean. He doesn't just select the most polished, shiny wood for the hull; he searches for the deeply seasoned timber that has been tested by time and pressure, knowing that when the great waves crash, the survival of everyone on board depends on the hidden, quiet strength of those beams. When we nominate our future church leaders and cast our votes in January 2027, we are choosing the spiritual timber that will keep our church steady through the cultural and spiritual storms of our time. We are placing our families, our ministries, and our shared future into the hands of the individuals we choose.
Once every two years, our church will vote for a group of leaders to form the Church Council. This is done through a congregational election. It is not a routine business event or a corporate vote—it is a deeply personal moment where we look at one another and ask, "Who will help guard the heart of our spiritual home, The Bible Church?" This is an invitation for every single one of us to sit quietly before the Lord, lay aside our personal preferences, and listen for His voice guiding our community forward.
Why This Matters to Your Family and Mine
It is easy to view a church council as a distant administrative board, but our decisions directly shape the atmosphere where we worship, grow, and serve together. The spiritual maturity of our leaders dictates the health of our entire church family. When a crisis hits a member of our congregation, when we discern where to invest our resources, when we challenge the seniors to finish well or when we teach our youth what it means to follow Jesus, we rely directly on the wisdom and spiritual discernment of these leaders.
True spiritual leadership requires a completely different heart than secular leadership. In the world, leadership is often about power, position, and control. In the kingdom of God, leadership is a sober calling to carry burdens and protect the flock. Together with the staff team of the church, these leaders are chosen to pray for you, stand with you in seasons of grief, celebrate your moments of joy and help you flourish in your spiritual journey.
Furthermore, in a world that is deeply fractured by politics, division, and cultural noise, our council’s primary job is to keep our eyes fixed entirely on Jesus and protect the peace of our church family. This is done through prayer, pastoral care, rigorous discussion on challenging issues facing the church, formation of policies to guide the church in decision making, scrutiny of financial resource allocations for accountability and discerning the focus and direction for the church. But more than that, we are looking for individuals whose daily lives—their integrity, their marriages, their speech, and their kindness—make us want to follow Christ more closely. They don't just manage the church; they model the Christian life for the church.
Looking Through the Eyes of the Spirit
As you look over the list of nominees in the coming weeks, I ask you to look past impressive resumes, social status, or how charismatic someone might be on a stage. Instead, look for the quiet, steady fruit of the Holy Spirit. The biblical qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 focus almost entirely on character, emotional maturity, and spiritual devotion rather than secular talent or success.
Consider these personal questions as you pray over the choice of the leaders:
Do they have a servant's heart? Look for the people who are already serving behind the scenes when no one is watching. True leaders are those who see a need in the body and step in quietly to fill it out of love for Christ.
Are they people of peace? Seek out nominees who listen deeply, receive feedback with grace, speak with kindness, and bring calm to difficult situations rather than stirring up division, gossip, or conflict.
Is their life deeply rooted in Scripture? Choose leaders who love God's Word, spend time in personal prayer, and live out their faith with humility and honesty, admitting their mistakes quickly rather than hiding them.
Three Things I am Asking You to Do
A healthy church family requires the active involvement of every single member. The election of a church council is a corporate act of worship. Therefore, I am asking you to personally commit to three things as we choose our leaders;
Take it to the Lord in prayer: Please do not vote out of habit, social obligation, or casual acquaintance. Ask God to give you spiritual clarity and to align your desires with His perfect will for our future.
Speak words of life and protection: Let’s protect our home. Speak encouragingly of all our nominees, thanking them for their willingness to step forward, open up their lives to scrutiny, and serve this body of Christ.
Commit to stand by them: Whoever is chosen will need your grace, your patience, and your daily prayers. The enemy loves to target church leaders. Let’s promise right now to lift them up, making their leadership a joy rather than a heavy burden.
Thank you for loving this church, for investing your heart and family here, and for walking hand-in-hand with us as we choose our leaders. Let us vote with expectation, trusting that the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, will continue to guide and equip our church for the work of His ministry.
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