FEATURE ARTICLE: FAITHFULNESS IN ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY
“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” —Mark 16:15
In a world that is constantly evolving, changing social values and standards can cause the steady unravelling of the moral fabric of our world. Furthermore, the rise of artificial intelligence has a great influence on technology, transforming every walk of life. However, the Bible clearly tells us that God and His Word are unchanging—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In this effect, the Bible Society recognises the importance of not just anchoring our ministries and programs in God’s Word, but also faithfully proclaiming the truth about the Redeemer who came to rescue us.
Bible engagement and advocacy have been two of the core pillars of the Bible Society’s mission. Through the engagement and advocacy of the Bible, we witness people receive and interact meaningfully with the Word of God. We come to know the living God as well as understand the unfolding story of His mission and redemptive plan for humanity through His Word. He is the source of life that we need in this ever-changing society. That is why Jesus declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Faith Goes Global
The official launch of the World Chinese Christianity Alliance (WCA) was held in conjunction with the Bible Mission Banquet 2023—where the Bible Society commemorated the bicentennial of the Bible Mission in Singapore—on 7 July 2023. In 1823, Stamford Raffles and Robert Morrison distributed 1,000 Chinese New Testaments to Chinese settlers here, therefore kickstarting the Bible Mission in Singapore. 200 years later, the Bible Society is privileged to be one of the founding members of this global missional platform under the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA)—an influential and wide-ranging global missionary organization in the world today.
The WCA is the first global Christian mission platform to reach out to all Chinese communities across the globe. It is the mission of the WCA to integrate high-quality resources, build an integrated platform, connect ethnic Chinese from all places, facilitate all types of ministries, and fulfill the mission of Christ.
The WCA has established its secretariat in Singapore as an international hub, working together with various regions, churches, and institutions to expand its mission work and reach out to the Chinese diaspora around the world. The WCA has supported local partners in holding the inaugural Singapore Chinese Church Pastors Leadership Summit in May this year.
Faith in Training
A ministry of the Bible Society, Sower Institute for Biblical Discipleship (SIBD) is devoted to equipping and training the Body of Christ locally and regionally in the areas of Bible literacy, discipleship in family and among youth, mental wellness, leadership, and missions. SIBD works with established partners to develop holistic training courses and modules, through workshops, seminars, and conferences, to empower and equip individuals with skills that will bring impact to wherever they are called. The ministry releases an annual SIBD catalogue that features the core tracks and various courses and modules lined up for the year—each revisited and refined to ensure more comprehensive training is delivered.
Last year, SIBD was one of the ministries of the Bible Society that was actively involved with GoForth—a National Missions Movement in Singapore that encouraged Christians to arise and fulfill the Great Commission. Rev David Lim, the programme in-charge of GoForth opening and closing services, shared: “This has been an opportunity to meet different people who have a heart and passion for missions. To serve with them and to make impacting people a reality has been exciting. Moving on from GoForth, we have a desire for every believer to have a heart for missions and for them to understand that missions is not just for the Church leadership.”
Keeping up with the times, the Chinese track of SIBD has remained faithful to the Bible Mission by making its Chinese Biblical programs available virtually with the use of advanced technology, allowing more to have access to resources that will help to deepen their understanding of God’s Word.
To broaden their reach, most of their courses such as Forgiveness—Choose a Life of Freedom, I Love My Family
Certificate Course, and Life Crisis Counselling—Care and End-of-Life Counseling for Critically Ill Patients were all
conducted on Zoom earlier this year.
Rev Gabriel Teo, Director of SIBD (Chinese), expressed: “Online courses break geographical barriers, enabling more
people to access and learn the teachings of the Bible. Implementing online Bible-related courses can help churches play a more significant role in today’s highly digitalised and globalised world. It not only increases opportunities for educating and nurturing believers, but also strengthens the connections and sense of participation within the faith community.”
Faith in Action
Advocating God’s Word is our response to God’s call for salvation, putting faith into action. The Centre for Advocacy, Relations, and Engagement (CARE)—a ministry of the Bible Society—has been committed to leading annual flagship events to share the Word of God. DECLARE, D6 Family Conference, Colours of the Bible (COB), and the Bible and Chinese Culture Festival (BCCF) are some examples of the events held by CARE each year to engage the Christian community with God’s Word.
Joyder Ng, Associate Director of CARE, said: “We've heard amazing stories from people who have joined us at our events and programmes. We also received testimonies from parents who encouraged their children to express their understanding of the Word of God through participating in our Colours of the Bible competition. They saw it as an opportunity for their children to showcase their creativity while also growing closer to God and spread His love through their artworks. Hearing these stories reminds us why we do what we do. It's all about fulfilling God's purpose and bringing glory to His name.”
Tan Min Xi, who came in third for Group Two (eight to 12 years old), ecstatically shared: “I participated because I thought it was a great idea to raise funds for the Bible Mission. Someone bought my artwork, which made me very happy. There are so many amazing artworks here, and I didn’t expect to come in third place!”
ETHOS Institute organises talks, conferences, and publications every year to engage the Church and society with contemporary issues from a Christian perspective. In 2024, ETHOS Institute celebrates its 10th anniversary. As the Bible Society remains devoted to the Bible Mission, striving to make the Word of God available and accessible to all through our Bible engagement and advocacy programs, we pray for your continued support. This enables us to equip ourselves for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17) and to unify the Body of Christ in fulfilling Christ’s mission.
