KOREAN BIBLE STUDY
Minister/Instructor: Rev Dr Park Seungkyu
Teacher: Dr Ra Chaewon,
Assistant Teacher: Park Jonghwi, Park Jongeun
The Korean Bible Study (KBS, hereafter) features a multi-regional fellowship: consisting mainly of Korean members affiliated with the True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (TLBPC), but also including those from Tanzania and South Korea. KBS initially started in the fall of 2019 as an offline-based personal Bible study at FEBC’s cry room. Then, KBS was more earnestly activated in 2020 during Rev Dr Park Seungkyu’s stay in Singapore due to his unavoidable sabbatical leave because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The ongoing pandemic has shifted the KBS system from an offline to an online basis, which has rather spurred its members in different regions and different situations to study together.
1. Regular Bible Study by Rev Dr Park Seungkyu every Wednesday, 3–4 pm (SST) via Skype.
Every Wednesday, Rev Dr Park Seungkyu expounds a selected book of the Bible via Skype. The Epistle to the Romans was completed a while ago, and KBS is now going through the Epistle of James. It is also planned to study one of the Old Testament books afterwards. Weekly lectures must be recorded, and these recordings are then shared at regular intervals via Kakaotalk group chat. This is to encourage the members to review their past Bible studies and to provide the same study opportunities to those who were inevitably unable to attend.
In addition to the regular lectures of the minister in charge, special lectures are also sometimes provided by teachers. In 2021, all teacher and assistant teachers took turns giving their special lectures. On January 26 and February 2, 2022, there were two special lectures on the topic of Darakbang (aka Remnant, one of the Korean-oriented heresies) by Park Jonghwi, one of the assistant teachers.
This Regular Bible Study is attended by the members of TLBPC as well as those of other churches in Singapore: joining together via Skype depending on each situation (some gathering offline within the numbers limited by the Covid-19 restrictions and some going directly online). So far, 11 members (more in the group chat) have been studying together every Wednesday via Skype. All participants can have a time for Q&A at any time via Skype on the day of the study or later via Kakaotalk group chat.
2. Daily Bible Reading: “Read the Bible Together” Project by Dr Ra Chaewon every day.
In order to provide spiritual nourishment for the KBS members and not slow down their daily spiritual drive, the Daily Bible Reading Project is promoted with the title of “Read the Bible Together.” The person in charge makes a reading schedule, shares it via a separate group chat from the regular Bible study, and proceeds according to the schedule. Version 1 was implemented from September to mid-December 2021, completing mainly the historical books of Israel down to the Book of Esther. Right now, the members are going through version 2, which runs from mid-December 2021 to mid-May 2022. Version 2 aims to complete the rest of the Old Testament from Job to Malachi.
This Daily Bible Reading Project is composed of volunteers from the KBS members. Its operation is made as follows: When the person in charge announces the amount of daily reading early every morning, each member reads it and leaves the message, ‘completed,’ on the group chat. This is to encourage their self-reading of the Bible by reinforcing the ‘self-check’ function. Volunteers, of course, can post their questions about the daily Bible chapters on the group chat and get answers at any time.
3. Regular listening to Korean sermons and lectures by Rev Dr Park Seungkyu every Lord’s Day, Wednesday, and Friday.
Given the limitations of the non-native language-based environment in Singapore and to increase the effectiveness of quenching spiritual thirst, Rev Dr Park’s Korean sermons and lectures accumulated in his personal archive are shared every Lord’s Day, Wednesday, and Friday: These days, Exodus is shared on the Lord’s Day, Leviticus on Wednesday, and James on Friday. This is to encourage the KBS members to listen to various expository sermons and review past Bible lectures. These files are also shared via the KBS group chat with those members who are unable to participate in the regular Bible study. Members are free to ask questions from there as well whenever needed.
4. Simultaneous interpretation of sermons in the English worship service by Park Jonghwi every Lord’s Day.
The minister and teachers have taken turns helping the KBS members better understand English sermons by providing simultaneous interpretation into Korean during the English worship service. Simultaneous interpretation is provided live during the worship service, using WhatsApp conference calls. The main interpreter currently is Park Jonghwi, one of the assistant teachers; and the other assistant teacher, Park Jongeun, is on standby.
5. Occasional Fellowship
KBS has been promoting its Bible study, Bible reading, and various communication and fellowship meetings using Skype’s video conferencing and Kakao Talk’s group chat. Current Singapore residents (including FEBC students) have conducted physical gatherings whenever the opportunity permits, and the rest of the members from other countries have also maintained ongoing connections online.
MISSIONS REPORT
Trinidad Bible-Presbyterian Church, Bohol, Philippines Pr Rodolfo Gayon
The date December 16, 2021 is unforgettable for Trinidad and the missions station here. It is because of Typhoon Odette (internationally known as Rai). The people here may have murmured against such an unexpected calamity which resulted to the loss of their homes and their living, but for the missions work, the typhoon served to knock at their doors for Bible studies and prayer meetings. It eventually led to the furtherance of the gospel. Ironically, this time they have no houses to open as these were destroyed by the strong winds. I can still remember freshly when the typhoon ravaged us. We were in one of the rooms of the Lagapa’s ancestral house and when the winds blew, it was very strong that the roofs above us started to fly away. Then, the glass windows shattered in front of us. Within one and a half hour, we felt the whole house move upward as if the strong winds tried to carry us somewhere. It was not until after 30 minutes that the wind and rain slowed down but to our surprise, it came back with the same speed for almost two hours. We still thank our God that He spared our lives. Only our things and the house were destroyed.
On behalf of the people of God in Trinidad, we unfathomably acknowledge with immeasurable thanks to the Lord through the brethren in Singapore who extended to us both prayer and financial support. These helped us in propagating the gospel to the hard-hearted people of Bohol who always find excuses not to hear God’s Words. Some of those who received the aids are Roman Catholics, a few members of the Trinity Baptist Church and our own brothers and sisters who regularly attend our Sunday worship services. They were hoping and longing to receive blessings just to buy materials for their shelters especially during rainy days, as many are sleeping under makeshifts only. Thank God, through the financial aid, some managed to buy galvanized iron for their roofing. Although, as of March 10, almost three months after the tragedy, there are still houses that remain in ruins because those affected belong to the average income earner.
Please pray that the LORD will pour out His grace upon Trinidad that many will believe in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
GAPPI Getsemani, Batam, Indonesia
Dear Dr Khoo
Greetings in the blessed name of our Lord Jesus Christ. My apology for sending a February report today [Mar 8].
First of all we thank God we arrived back in Batam on February 26 after visiting our hometown. From this trip, we truly learned that God is good in His providence. Our trip back was to pray for our sick father, but God made it beautiful in His time and plan. We are assured of his salvation, and we helped in burying his body. The family is very strong and comforted in the Lord. Thank you for all your prayers.
I spent two weeks in my hometown. I myself thank God for His sovereignty. During our days there I was sick for quite some time, coughing badly till I lost my voice, and had fever. Thank God Murni and Gerrard were not sick like me. They only caught a fever for a night and recovered the next day. The house was far from the city. So I took only some cough and fever medicine. I thank God because I lost my voice in my hometown, but not in Batam where I need to teach and preach. A specific sickness is controlled by God to be in our body at a specific time. Then when we came back and arrived in Batam, I was healed and my voice came back. So, on the next day, on Sunday, I could preach with my normal voice. Praise the Lord.
Thank you once again for your prayers and support for our ministry here in Batam. God is good to GAPPI Getsemani. During my days in our hometown, Rev Kiantoro, brother Maritus and brother Jansel helped to preach in Getsemani. These days, some of the church members were sick with Covid-19 and needed to be quarantined at home. But we thank God for healing and also for the online service for them since they could not come to church. Starting March 1, there is a restriction by the government that worship services can only accommodate 50% of the capacity of the building. Please continue to pray for God’s protection and help for the church members.
The Church is still conducting services and fellowship. On Sunday, we have two services, morning (10am) and evening (7pm). On Wednesday we have our Bible Study on the book of Acts (7pm). We also have our Women’s and Men’s Fellowship every 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month respectively. And on Saturday, we have our Teens and Young People’s Fellowship (6pm). Please continue to pray that God will bless all our services.
Thank you very much. God bless.
In Christ,
Shobastian
