GAPPI GETSEMANI IN BATAM

Pr Shobastian

Thank God for His marvelous grace and mercy upon us here at GAPPI Getsemani. On the Lord’s Day, 26 June 2022, we had our thanksgiving service for the 14^th anniversary of the church. It was truly a blessed and joyful occasion.

First of all we thank God for sustaining the church, despite all the troubles that we are facing, from natural disasters like Covid-19 to people being used by the Devil to try to destroy the church. God is good, for He walks before us and truly has helped us. Therefore our anniversary is also called a thanksgiving for it focuses on thanking God for His grace and mercy.

Thanksgiving

We thank God for the successful thanksgiving service. We want to thank God for Pastor Jeffrey Khoo, Eileen (Mrs Khoo), Elder Tan Nee Keng, and Dr Khor Beng Lee for coming over to minister to us. Pastor spoke on the topic “Jesus Is Coming Back Soon!” taken from Matthew 24:3–14. This message truly was encouraging for it encouraged us to continue to work hard for the Lord. The church members were blessed to hear that Jesus will come back very soon.

The presence of sister Eileen, Elder Tan, and Dr Khor was also encouraging to the church members. They had been coming over for years, before Covid-19, to encourage and minister to the church. Their presence had brought joy and blessing to the church members. Thank God for them.

We thank God also for Rev Kiantoro who came to conduct the Lord’s Supper. Thank God that on this joyful occasion we could partake of the bread and the cup in remembrance of Jesus.

Thank God for the good attendance. There were 73 adults and 20 children. About 20% were from outside Getsemani. May the word that was preached to them bear much fruit in their lives.

Thank God for everything. I would like to thank God for the hardworking church members. The food for the thanksgiving lunch was offered and cooked by them. From Saturday afternoon until night, they worked to clean the church and prepare all the seasonings for the food. Then on Sunday morning, starting at 4 am, the men came to church to cook the food, especially the soup and the saksang. The rice, chicken, and other dishes were prepared by the ladies at home. So, we truly thank God for the willingness of the church members to give and to work for the thanksgiving service. God is working in them.

Evangelism

These 14 years, especially in recent years, the church has been doing well. I believe the church is going in the right direction. God has blessed us in all the ministries that we have done thus far. We keep on evangelising. There are two newcomers, Mrs Sirait and Mrs Situmorang. Both are widows and they are seeking to transfer their membership to GAPPI Getsemani. Besides their eagerness in worship and fellowship, these two ladies also show a desire to obey God’s Word. Mrs Situmorang has a smoking habit, and upon hearing God’s Word shows a willingness to obey. At the worship service, she asked me to pray for her to help her stop this bad habit. Mrs Sirait came from a HKBP church, the traditional church of the Batak people. She moved from Batam Centre to Batu Aji. She did not worship in any church for a few months as she was looking for a good church. She heard from her brother who worships at GAPPI Batam that there is GAPPI Getsemani in Batu Aji. She came and worshiped with us. After coming for a few times, people outside the church asked her why she attends GAPPI Getsemani for GAPPI is known for its strictness. Thank God she testified that through the preaching and teaching in GAPPI Getsemani, she found the church to have very strict doctrines and practices which are according to the Bible. The church does not compromise the truth. She thanks God that she has found a sound church where she can worship and serve the Lord. Since then, she is so faithful in worship services, fellowship meetings and in Bible study classes too.

On May 10, sad news came that the husband of Ibu Supartik, a co-worker in the ministry here, has passed away. The husband was for a long time working in Malaysia. He passed away in Malaysia. His body was brought back to Batam and he was buried on May 22. Rev Kiantoro conducted the funeral. Thank God the bereaved family is strong in the Lord.

Ministries

In these two years alone, we had started some ministries. We have started Bible study classes, reaching out not only to Getsemani’s members but also Indonesians outside Batam through Zoom. We also started a children’s ministry that teaches the children the Bible in English. We thank God that thus far dozens of children have joined. Thank God also for the relaxing of government rules concerning Covid so we can resume our fellowship meetings and even family meetings.

What will be next? With the help of God, the church is planning for a new ministry. The church members are 100% from Batak tribes. Most of the Bataks outside Getsemani call themselves Christians, but many are worshipping in liberal, charismatic, and new-evangelical churches. They are very proud of ecumenism as well. We are going to reach out to them through our members. There are two ministries that we are praying that God will bless.

First, we will be reaching out to the members’ neighbourhood. This ministry can be done by conducting Bible studies in church members’ homes. Church members will invite their neighbours to come to their home and listen to God’s Word. Hopefully, many will come and learn the truth from God’s perfect Word. The second ministry is inspired by the FCM in Singapore. However, it is not to reach out to the students in the universities, but to the people in factories. In Batam, there are a lot of factories, and our church members are working in some of these factories. So the idea is that our church members who are working in their factories will invite their friends to join the Bible study in their respective factories. With this we pray that many will come and learn the truth from God’s perfect Word. So please pray for these ministries to be done.

Needs

We are looking forward to having more rooms for ministries as well. We now only have one room, used for all ministries that we have. We need to build for the church’s ministries. We need toilets, classrooms, kitchen, and even a parsonage. The worship hall needs to be rebuilt for its condition is not good anymore. The land beside the church is higher than the floor of the church, causing some cracks already to the wall. This we trust the Lord, as He knows our every need, to provide for us.

Finally, I would like to thank God again for the successful thanksgiving service. We are praying and hoping for another fruitful year ahead. May God help us until Jesus returns.

GREETINGS FROM MEDAN

Dear Dr Jeffrey Khoo

Greetings to you in the most powerful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How are you Dr Khoo? I trust you are alright under the care and direction of God. Praises, thanks and glory be to our loving and merciful God (Rom 8:28).

I would like to thank and praise the Lord Jesus Christ too, especially for the following:

(1) Martin my son has come back for his vacation. Praise the Lord for the great change in his life. Every day he is busy with hearing and teaching God’s Word online in Bahasa.

(2) Martin handed to me the latest issue of The Burning Bush from FEBC. When I read it, it truly reminded me of the past, listening to the wise sayings of our late beloved Pastor and Principal in Church and FEBC. As I am a product of FEBC, I love FEBC for its separatist stand on the pure Word of God.

(3) True Life Church through Dn Charles Kan sent me $300, a love gift. Much appreciated.

(4) Dr Khoo is ready to preach at GAPPI Getsemani’s anniversary on 26/06/2022 as I was told by Ev Shobastian.

Pandemic Covid-19 has caused a great problem in my ministry at Bethany School. The students decreased from 600 to 400 and now 245. The students’ parents sent their children to government school with free cost.

Jesus is coming soon. We must keep on occupying till He comes. Please pray for me and the work here in Medan and GAPPI as a whole. May God bless your ministry in Batam.

Yours in Christ
Rev Haposan Siregar
19 June 2022

GAPPI Getsemani’s 14th Anniversary Thanksgiving, 26 June 2022