O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

LTF CAMP 2023 TESTIMONIES

This year’s LTF Camp 2023 was on “Peter the Man, Jesus His Lord”, and it was held from 4-8 Dec, with 5 messages given by Brother Joel Seah. Dn Russell also gave a workshop on the topic “Assurance of Salvation”. We thank God for all who attended the camp and have learnt much from the messages. We also would like to thank God for the planning and running of the programmes in the camp. God provided for us when He held back the rain on the day we were going outdoors for Amazing Race, and for keeping all of us safe during the camp. We also thank God for the parents who have partnered with us and allowed their children to come for this camp. We hope that even after LTF Camp has ended, each camper will develop their own relationship with God. God has truly been our Lord, and we His people through the camp. May you see how He worked in each testimony of His goodness.

This year’s LTF camp has truly been a blessing to me. From the planning to the execution of the camp, I could really see God working through not only myself, but the circumstances and both the newcomers and the planning committee. Brother Joel Seah spoke on the theme, ‘Peter the Man, Jesus his Lord,’ and the messages captured several lessons we could learn from the life of the apostle. Peter was an ordinary, uneducated, rash, and unthinking fisherman, yet Jesus called him. The love of God knows no bounds, and is the true, pure form of agape love. A particular lesson that struck me was one of enduring through God’s refining fire. Although I may face hardships or trials in life, it is comforting to know that God has meant them for good, and will mould me into becoming more like Christ and building up my character, whether through jolting me out of sin or helping me grow in faith. Other lessons which stuck with me were those about finishing strong in Christ and having a new hope in Him.

Especially since I was serving in the camp committee, I saw many things which could have gone wrong and had done so, but thankfully God provided solutions and the camp was able to run smoothly. On the afternoon of the second day, we had planned to head to the Botanic Gardens for games, but the week before and the morning of the day itself had been overshadowed with darker clouds and the threat of rain. The committee and those involved in the games had been praying for good weather since the start of camp, and our prayers were answered!! Thankfully, the rain was withheld till the end of the activity, where most campers were near to or had reached shelter just as the rain started to pour. God also provided discussion group leaders (DGLs) and committee members who were able to swiftly adapt to the circumstances and continue running the programme.

Finally, I thank God for the fellowship I could partake of in the five days of being in church and learning from His Word daily. I managed to talk to those who I’m not as close with, and strengthen bonds with others whom I already know. In addition to doing so, I was encouraged by seeing many young campers share their heartfelt testimonies, especially because doing so can be pretty scary from my previous experiences. The lyrics of our camp theme song, A Passion for Thee, are meaningful as well and I pray that myself and fellow Christians will be able to achieve the outcome it speaks of. Through personal reflection, discussions, and the messages, I believe the Lord has helped me and the other campers to learn valuable lessons, and by His grace, we can learn to apply them in daily living. I thank God for the few days of listening to His Word, and hope to learn more from the sermons and next year’s camp. Soli Deo Gloria!

– Jonathan Ong

LTF Camp 2023 has definitely been an eventful one - from the messages, to the games, and the workshop, God has been with us throughout the camp. This year, the camp’s messages were centered on Peter’s life and his relationship with Jesus. Before knowing Jesus, Peter was just an ordinary fisherman, one who was brash and impulsive. However, after Jesus’ calling, he grew to be one of Christ’s most devoted disciples and even the foundation of the early church. Through the messages, I could really see how much Peter grew as God worked in his life. It encouraged me that through Christ, He is able to change all of us and work in our hearts, for us to be a faithful servant of His and to do His will. Through the character study of Peter, I could see how great Christ’s love truly was. Even after Peter’s harsh denial of Him, Jesus was able to restore him and forgive him and even asked him to lead His people. Throughout the camp, God has preserved us in many ways as well. Despite some hiccups throughout camp, I thank God that everything was still able to run smoothly, providing us with solutions to be able to overcome them. Seeing how God has touched the lives of many teens throughout camp, I am so grateful for His goodness and His consistent working in our lives. I thank God that this camp has been a success and I pray that more people would be able to join LTF Camp next year to experience God’s goodness.

– Elisha Tang

During my time at LTF camp, I met new people from other churches, or who had never attended a Youth Bible camp before and also grew closer with some of my long-standing friends from LTF and Sunday school. Peter from the Bible demonstrated many qualities such as being inquisitive as a disciple of Christ, having initiative and being involved in the situation that was around him. To my chagrin, camp showed me that I lacked many of his qualities and that I had a long way to live up to the name of Christ as he did. The workshop on Day 3 opened my eyes to search for a more personal link to Christ that I could embody. The prospect of being self-assured in my own salvation yet not being properly saved is uncomfortable, yet the truth that in any room there would be people not truly saved in Christ and that it might be me - terrifies me. The need to accept the truth also meant that I needed to question myself more concerning my relationship with Christ. Moreover, there were also several truths such as embodying the fruit of the spirit and obeying and listening to only God in my life which I could not ignore during camp. The camp Games were creative and focused on multiplying the close fellowship I could have in the games groups, and it seemed that God held back the rain to allow for many games to continue as planned. Traipsing around Botanic Gardens, Ben, Ean, Sarah, Josiah and I connected over the silly activities which allowed us to lower our barriers around each other. Altogether, the lessons I learnt combined with the close fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ culminated in special night, where the skits performed were truly an extension of our creativity. However, my favourite part of the camp was the sharing of testimonies where not only the campers but the camp committee as well expressed all of the unique lessons taken from our own experiences. This was truly one of the greatest, exhausting, thought-provoking experiences I ever had :).

– Peter-Sam Chow

This year's LTF camp really impacted me a lot through the messages and workshop. From the messages, I learnt that I have to deny myself and give up everything I have to follow Christ. As I served God throughout the camp, I was reminded by the messages that I serve God because I love Him and I love God because He first loved me (1 John 4:19). This helped me to trust in God more and have a better attitude as I served in the PA and logistics committee. The workshop also allowed me to be more assured of my own salvation and helped me to understand more about this topic.

This year's fellowship night was also very meaningful as many of us shared about how the camp has impacted us and how we would like to thank God for seeing us through the camp. I was very encouraged by everyone's sharing. We were able to see how God had helped us throughout camp. He held back the rain during games and helped all the events to go on smoothly. I also thank God for the good fellowship we had throughout the camp as we all bonded through the games and during fellowship night as we planned our skits and sang hymns together.

Overall, I enjoyed the camp as it refreshed me spiritually and helped me to bond with other teens as well as make new friends. I look forward to next year's LTF camp!

– Heng Su-Anne

When I was a younger teen, I used to take everything about LTF Camp for granted. All I'd have to do was wake up early, sit through some sermons and have fun for the next five days. However, the more camps I attend, the more obvious it becomes that none of them would be possible without God's deliverance.

This year's camp was no different; serving in the games comm for the first time, I had a front-row seat to all our plans going wrong in different ways. However, amid all the uncertainty, God allowed me to see Him working behind the scenes instead of focusing on all our mistakes. While it was amazing to see His wondrous might displayed in holding back the thunderstorms right until the very end of our outdoor Amazing Race, God also encouraged me through the smaller blessings such as patient adult leaders and friends. Even when I felt down because of my blunders, they never failed to lift my spirits and remind me that I was not alone.

There were many important lessons to learn through the messages by Uncle Joel, and three points in particular stuck with me throughout camp—the importance of remembering the living hope of our inheritance, enduring the hardships of God's refining fire and living a life that prioritises the kingdom of God. These points made me remember why I was serving in the first place and helped me maintain a grateful attitude even when I encountered challenges.

I was also incredibly blessed to be able to witness all the testimonies from the teens on the last day of camp. These sharings opened my eyes and made me realise that God was working behind the scenes in so many lives even if I couldn't see it. Although I might have considered some parts of the camp to be a "failure" due to my errors, these mistakes were so inconsequential in God's plan and I was prideful to believe that I could have affected the outcome He intended.

In conclusion, this camp taught me so many new lessons and was truly one of the most important experiences of my year. I hope that the rest of the campers similarly took away new lessons about God from camp and that it will not just be a spiritual high, but that we will continue to remember the goodness of God in the years to come.

– Titus Loh

From camp, I learnt about the disciple Peter and how God was working in him. When Jesus called Peter to follow Him, Peter left everything and followed Jesus, which means that we should leave everything, even our most prized possessions, to follow Christ. Peter was undependable yet he still loved God. Peter was undependable as he often didn’t fulfill promises that he made. Jesus changed Peter’s name from Simon, to Peter. Peter’s name meant the rock, which is what Jesus wanted Peter to be. I learnt that Jesus calls ordinary people like me and He will give us a new name when we believe in Him. I learnt that we have to destroy our idols, sinful thoughts and stubborn and rude ways to live a repented life. When Peter denied Jesus thrice, Jesus had compassion and restored Peter as part of moulding him into the rock. I learnt that Jesus will never leave me and that I should try my best to obey Him. God has been good to me at camp as he helped me to understand the messages and helped me to stay healthy. God allowed me to gain more knowledge about Him, taught me how to glorify Him and how to live a life of repentance.

– Kristen Koy

During this camp, God brought me to realise how much I was like Peter through the series of messages—how he also had many struggles in life, and found it hard to obey Christ like I do as well. I was reminded that even though I sin so much against God, He still loves me so much that He sent Jesus to die to pay for my sins. Uncle Joel also mentioned that even though we may let go of God’s hands sometimes and stray away from Him, yet He will never let go of our hands. This is especially comforting for me, as it shows God’s great love and grace towards us.

God also used this camp to demonstrate His power and control over everything. On Tuesday, when we planned to have an Amazing Race at Botanic Gardens, God blessed us by holding back the rain until after the games had ended, allowing us to have fun and enjoy ourselves there. On Thursday, we had also planned to have wet games in Church, but it rained after we began the games and continued to rain more heavily, causing us to cancel the rest of the games. Despite being a bit disappointed in having to cancel the rest of the program, I am thankful that we still could play a few games under the shelter of the red porch. In all these events, God has shown us how these are all part of His perfect plan.

Personally, I believe that God has used this camp to draw me closer to Him by spending more time with Him and feasting on His Word, as well as causing me to reflect on my life and give me renewed striving to live for Him, as mentioned in the camp theme song ‘A Passion for Thee’. I thank God for this blessed time at LTF camp!

– Charis Ong

Going into my second LTF Camp, I was a little proud of myself because I thought I was far better than most teens in terms of spirituality. I fell into the idea that consecrating more time for God meant a higher level of godliness, and started to be puffed up because of this.

However, God has been merciful to me by speaking to me through the messages imparted to us, concerning Peter the Man and Jesus his Lord. The fifth message, which covered Peter's denial of our Lord Jesus and his subsequent restoration, gave me a sobering view of how lowly we are in God's eyes.

Peter's denial of Jesus Christ, in contrast with his earlier statement that he would never abandon Him, reminded me of how many times I would make promises to God never to commit a certain type of sin or how I would be faithful to Him, but ended up failing to keep it. I realised I was very much like Peter, lacking the strength to finish what I started. This humbled me as I originally thought I was a very committed person to God.

Peter's restoration also showed me how we can never reciprocate the love God has for us. Jesus asked Peter "lovest thou me?", but Peter could only give a 'yes' response with the word "philios", or brotherly love. Meanwhile Jesus loves us with an 'agape' love, an unchanging and unconditional love. I thought I loved Jesus no matter what, but Peter's truthful response to His question showed me that my love will never be equal to His, and that my love for Him often diminishes or grows weaker when faced with tribulation. It can never match that of my Saviour, and that really humbled me because I assumed my love for Jesus was akin to that of His love for me.

Through the camp messages, and also the insightful discussions and workshops, I have grown closer both to God and His people. I really saw myself in Peter and how even though I was not enough for God, He still accepts and restores me in my moments of weakness. I thank God for the sweet fellowship I have experienced in this camp, as well as the small opportunity to serve Him in this camp as a sub-comm member. I pray that God can bring me back for next year's LTF Camp!

– Benjamin Tan

Peter denied Christ 3 times, and was very sorry for it. As many others would have said, God allowed us to have fun on amazing race day as He was "holding back" the rain and only started pouring when all of us got to the shelter safely.

– Yichelle Ng

Before the camp, I felt far from God because of my exams prior to it which resulted in me spending less time with God. Sometimes serving felt like deadlines to meet and checkboxes to tick off my to-do list. I prayed to God to remind me of His love during the camp and that His love is the basis of my service to Him. God answered my prayer through the messages. Even though Peter denied Christ 3 times, Jesus restored Him 3 times. Jesus did not need to restore Peter or to do it 3 times, but He did so because He loved Peter. I saw how I was similar to Peter in how I denied Christ when I did not glorify Him in my service but myself, I denied Christ when I did not put Him first in my life and enjoyed the busyness of the world more, I denied Christ when I was afraid to proclaim that I follow Jesus in school, and I denied Christ when I ran away from Him rather than going to Him when facing challenges. I saw how I was similar to Peter in terms of being rash, hot headed, and acting without thinking of the consequences. Despite all of Peter's shortcomings, God still moulded him into the person He wanted Peter to be, and Peter's life was never the same anymore. I was also reminded that despite my weaknesses, if I yield myself to God and submit to His will, God will gradually mould me into the person He wants me to be. I thank God for reminding me of His great love for me during this camp, how I am a totally depraved sinner undeserving of His grace. His love should be the basis of my service and all that I do, not of my own strength. I am a mere vessel filled with His Spirit to do His will. The workshop on Assurance of Salvation also made me reflect on my salvation. The 4th group, assured but not saved, was a group who was living dangerously in the thought that they were saved but actually were not because the Spirit did not dwell in their hearts. It was a reminder to me to reflect on my salvation and the basis on which I was doing things and serving God. God has also been really good during the camp as He reminded me of how His spirit leads and not of myself. Whenever it was hard to conduct discussions, God provided the words to speak. It was also very heartwarming to see some of the teens gradually share more openly over the camp. All in all, I could really see God working throughout the whole camp, and I really thank God for His providence and His guidance to all of us.

– Tessa Ho

Being my first year in LTF Camp as part of the main camp committee, I really got a bird’s eye view into truly how much effort goes into planning each year’s 5-day long experience, allowing me to see so much more of how God works throughout almost the entire year to allow the campers to have an enjoyable yet spiritually fulfilling camp. Though there were inevitably times where issues arose, I think myself and many others were truly able to witness God’s blessings throughout the week; from holding back the rain with His perfect timing for games, providing passionate and kindhearted parents to contribute and help set up meals for the campers, to touching the hearts of many attendees through the various activities, messages and discussions held.

One thing that really stood out to me was from a sharing by one of my dorm leaders, who made it a point to show us how important it is to have a personal relationship with God in our lives through an analogy. Imagine the person you couldn’t live without; the individual in your life that makes you who you are, that you wouldn’t be the same without. Our love for such people in our lives, while already great, is far exceeded by the love that God has shown for us. He has given us His Son, given us a chance at salvation despite how undeserving we are, even after we do the thing He hates the most, tens or hundreds of times a day. I thank God that such an obvious fact was able to open my eyes to how much I should pursue after a personal relationship with our Creator, the one who loves us so much that to write it would drain the ocean dry.

Lastly, I really thank God for the amazing fellowship and company that He provided for these short 5 days, an environment that we really cannot find almost anywhere else in our normal daily lives. From the others dutifully serving in the camp committee helping to keep the camp running, to those who just came for the first time, I think everyone had truly been blessed by God and learned something valuable about Him from this camp. A truly heartening experience was on the last night of the camp, during the testimonial session where campers have the opportunity to share about what God had done for them throughout their past few days. From my first year in LTF camp, it had always been quite a challenge for me to go up and share in front of more than 20-30 people. To my and many others’ surprise, several young campers who had never been to LTF or LTF camp before went up to share passionately about how God had blessed them, and kept the time of emotional reflection and thanksgiving going strong for almost 4 hours straight. I’m truly thankful for the time I’ve spent at LTF camp this year, for the fun we had and friends we made, and for everyone who helped to make it happen. See you next year!!!

– Ooi Zi Yang

Appointments for the Week

Tuesday, Dec 26

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Dn Joshua Chia)

Thursday, Dec 28

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

Saturday, Dec 30

        3.00 pm     LTF

Sunday, Dec 31

  8.00 am     For the Gospel unto the End Acts 28:16-31 (Rev Lee Hann Yang)

  8.00 am     Choir Practice

  9.15 am     Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am     Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am For the Gospel unto the End Acts 28:16-31 (Rev Lee Hann Yang)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

  7.00 pm YLM 2nd Anniversary (MPH)

10.45 pm Watchnight Communion Service: Behold, I Make All Things New! Revelation 21:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Rev Charles Seet, with Holy Communion)

Announcements

Christmas Eve Service

Tonight, 24 Dec 2023, 8.00 pm

Sermon: “A Gracious Promise Fulfilled” (Genesis 3:15) by brother Mok Chee Cheong

The Offering will be designated to help the poor, needy and underprivileged.

Watchnight Communion Service

Next Sunday, 31 Dec 2023, 10.45 pm

Sermon: “Behold, I Make All Things New!” (Revelation 21:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:17) by Rev Charles Seet

Parking Arrangements and Shuttle Service on 24th Dec 2023

For the Combined service on Dec 24 at 9am and 8pm, we will fully utilise both Sanctuary and Beulah House carparks.
Please also note that parking is allowed along single yellow lines on Sunday and public holidays along Gilstead and Buckley Roads.
For 9am combined service, there will be coffee corner after service. Please note:

-        Main sanctuary parking for those staying for coffee corner
-        ⁠Beulah house for those not staying for coffee corner.
Appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation and we will do our best to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Birth

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Gideon C on the birth of a baby girl, Emma, on 10 Dec 2023.

Registration for 2024 Pre-Nursery Sunday School Class

is now open for children aged 18 months to 3 years old. Parents who wish to enrol their children, please email Ling Ling 

ERBL Evening Lectures

Two evening lectures offered from January-May 2024:

1) Old Testament Prophetic Books by Rev Charles Seet (Monday @ 7.30pm)

2) Bible Geography by Ms Lilian Lee (Thursday @ 7.30pm)

It will be conducted on-site at No. 10 Gilstead Road. It is compulsory for all Credit Students to attend lectures on-site and Audit Students can either attend lectures via Zoom platform or on-site. Interested parties can register for the courses online at https://www.lifebpc.com/erbl/

Deadline for registration: 1st January 2024.

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday. Kindly contact Dn Choong or Bro Kelvin if you are available.

Condolence

Our condolences to the family of the late brother David T (70 years old) on his homegoing on 22 Dec 2023.

Seminar: fAIth in AI?

Date: Saturday, 30 Dec 2023

Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Venue: Calvary B-P Church

Speakers: Rev Ho Chee Lai, Rev Isaac Ong

Registration closes on 25 Dec 2023. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcr06nknRhFDhdRHJ8EnmPR8-EFULD0p1V34FTkW-ZBqQnWw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Young Lifers Ministry 2nd Anniversary

Date: 31 Dec 2023

Time: 7pm

Venue: Beulah MPH

Speaker: Eld Michael Ong

Sign up at: tinyurl.com/ylm2ndanni

Ladies’ Fellowship

Invites all ladies to join us in our new series based on the book of Genesis. “Building our trust in a faithful God”

Date: 27/1/2024, 24/2/2024, 23/3/2024

Time: 3.30pm

Venue: Beulah House Rm 1-6

Speaker: Sis Chin Wai Peng

Please contact Sis Sally for more information or if you are interested.

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