VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2015

Report by Jason Tay Bee Heng

The Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a ministry of True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (TLBPC) to children from ages 3 to 12 and teenagers from ages 13 to 14. The objectives of the VBS are (1) to evangelise children with the Gospel of Christ and (2) to teach them the Word of God which is in fulfillment of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

By God’s grace, for the eighth year, VBS 2015 was held from 3rd to 5th June at Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church. The theme of the VBS was “Be Like Jesus” based on 1 John 2:6, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” There were five lessons in each level: (1) Who Is Jesus? (Phil 2:5-11) – a gospel message, (2) Be Humble Like Jesus (John 13:1-17), (3) Pray Like Jesus (Mark 1:35), (4) Obey Like Jesus (Luke 22:42), and (5) Forgive Like Jesus (Luke 23:34). For the first time, the VBS program was extended to students in Secondary One and Two.

Registration for VBS volunteers was opened at the end of January. We truly thank God for moving the hearts of many brethren to sign up as VBS volunteers in various areas. There were a total of 62 volunteers, comprising of 53 full-timers and 9 part-timers. Thank God for the humility that the volunteers had demonstrated in being willing to take up the roles that were assigned to them and for their cheerful spirit to serve in their respective capacities. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” (Col 3:23). We are also grateful to the Lord for FEBC in providing a number of college students to serve in the teaching departments. Indeed they had been a great blessing to all the children.

 

Registration for children started at the beginning of March. By the end of March, there were only 5 children who had registered. It was a test of faith for the planning committee. In the course of preparation for VBS, Satan may try to discourage us with doubts, cares, concerns and distractions. Thank God for His word in Philippians 4:6-7 that cautioned us against disquieting and perplexing cares and reminded us to pray and focus on God’s work and to keep trusting in His providence. Praise the Lord! By the end of April, the number of children who registered, shot up to 42, and it went up to 70 by mid May. The final number of children by level is listed in the table below.

Level	*Children Registered	Average Daily Attendance
Teens	15	9
Uppers	33	25
Lowers	27	25
Preschools	20	17
Total	95	76

* Includes part-timers and full-timers

Besides the teaching of God’s Word, there were Art-and-Craft and Singspiration sessions that were planned to reinforce the lessons taught. The children also participated in various games that were designed with object lessons that brought out the various characteristics of Christ and how to be like Him.

 

The three-day VBS program culminated in the VBS Night on the last day where parents were invited to attend and to watch their children present song items, but most importantly, to hear the gospel being preached. Thank God for the Rev Stephen Khoo who faithfully preached God’s Word exhorting both parents and children to heed the gospel call to salvation. Thank God for enabling the children to present the lessons they have learnt in VBS through songs, and for granting the teachers and helpers the patience to guide them during the practices.

 

In the three short days, the Lord enabled the teachers and assistants to interact with the children in their respective departments to get to know them better and to reach out to them. We praise the Lord for the 12 children who had confessed their need for salvation and who prayed the sinners’ prayer during the VBS. Bibles were given to some of these children who did not own a copy. A follow-up program for these children is currently being planned, following a meeting convened on 17 July with the VBS advisors namely Elder Joseph and sister Jenny Kan. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Prov 22:6)

 

The planning committee and volunteers are truly thankful to the Lord for the privilege to serve Him in this yearly ministry. It is our prayer that with each VBS, the children will take home with them the precious gospel truth and confess Christ as their Lord and Saviour at God’s appointed time. Salvation is of the Lord. Whether we have planted or watered, it is God that gave the increase. (1 Cor 3:6)

As the Lord tarries, we pray that we may serve the Lord in VBS with the attitude and mindset exemplified by John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30). To God be the glory!

(Vacation Bible School 2016 will be held on June 1-3, 2016 at Calvary Pandan BPC. Session has approved the following appointments: Director–Bee Heng; HOD-preschool–Serene; HOD-Lowers–Yee Fong; HOD-Uppers–Joycelyn; HOD-Teens (Sec 1 & 2)–Patricia.)

FASTEST GROWING BIBLE TRANSLATION

The KJV is the best English version of the Bible out there. Time-tested and time-honoured, it is still well-loved and widely read in the States. We believe God blesses the KJV because it is the most faithful translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words God had originally inspired and providentially preserved. Here is an interesting report from Christianity Today:

“When Americans reach for their Bibles, more than half of them pick up a King James Version (KJV), according to a new study advised by respected historian Mark Noll.

“The 55 percent who read the KJV easily outnumber the 19 percent who read the New International Version (NIV). And the percentages drop into the single digits for competitors such as the New Revised Standard Version, New America [sic] Bible, and the Living Bible.

“…The high numbers of KJV readers confirm the findings of last year’s American Bible Society (ABS) State of the Bible report. On behalf of ABS, Barna Group found that 52 percent of Americans read the King James or the New King James Version, compared with 11 percent who read the NIV.

“The KJV also received almost 45 percent of the Bible translation-related searches on Google, compared with almost 24 percent for the NIV, according to Bible Gateway’s Stephen Smith.

“In fact, searches for the KJV seem to be rising distinctly since 2005, while most other English translations are staying flat or are declining, according to Smith’s Google research.

“… other studies also indicate that the KJV remains the translation powerhouse. A 2011 Lifeway study, for example, found that 62 percent of Americans—and 82 percent of Americans who regularly read the Bible—own a copy of the KJV.

“’Although the bookstores are now crowded with alternative versions, and although several different translations are now widely used in church services and for preaching, the large presence of the KJV testifies to the extraordinary power of this one classic English text,’ Noll commented in the IUPUI report. [Source: Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, Christianity Today, 13 March 2014.]

FEBC Bookroom (Tel: 62549188) has a good selection of KJV Bibles.