Girls' Brigade
13th Singapore Company Girls’ Brigade (GB) based in Sembawang Secondary School
The Girls’ Brigade Singapore (GBS) is an international and interdenominational Christian Uniformed Youth Organisation for girls, recognised by the Ministry of Education of Singapore as a Co-Curricular Activity in the schools.
GBS mission is to help girls develop to their fullest potential imbued with good Christian values, equipped with leadership skills and challenged to serve at home, in the local community and overseas.
Aim
To help girls to become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and through self-control, reverence and a sense of responsibility to find true enrichment of life.
Motto
Seek, Serve and Follow Christ
Recognising that adolescence is a critical stage where youths battle with peer pressure and seeking self-identity among their peers, we seek to impart healthy attitudes and praise worthy godly girls through a wide-range of meaningful activities.
The Beginning
When sister Feng Wanxian was appointed as the CCA teacher in-charge of GB 13th Company in Sembawang Secondary School, she counted it her privilege to be able to play a part in this meaningful ministry that has been helping girls to find their true purpose in life.
In October 2011, the company was almost facing a closure because of the low enrolment of 13 girls (from Sec 1 to 4) and the previous sponsoring church deciding to withdraw support due to the lack of manpower. This church had been supporting the company since 2001.
Sister Wanxian was burdened to see the impending closure of the company as GB has been an outreach ministry to the unchurched girls and their families to hear God’s word. After much prayers and seeking counsel from a few sisters in Life BP Church on how to reach out to these girls, she approached Life BP Church to consider sponsoring the company. With the blessing and support from the Church Elders and Session members, GB 13th became one of the outreach ministries in Life BP Church.
Now
The girls in the 13th Company continue to come from mostly non-Christian families. This year, we have an enrolment of 8 recruits (Sec 1 and 2) and total strength of 47 girls (from Sec 1 to Sec 5). They range from the age of 13 to 17 years old. These girls have all kinds of needs – physical, emotional, social and financial. In the GB four-fold programme which is based on Luke 2:52 - Jesus grew in wisdom (educational), stature (physical), in favour with God (spiritual), in favor with man (social) – to help them to find true enrichment of life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The GB programmes of the 13th Company are jointly organized by the church’s GB committee and the teachers from Sembawang Secondary School with a wide array of activities to match the four-fold programme. The weekly programme consists of singspiration, Christian devotions, games/drills, badgework and coaching of the squads and student leaders.
We thank God that despite the many challenges that we have been facing in supporting this ministry, the door for the Gospel outreach in Sembawang Secondary School continues to be opened for us. We get to interact with the girls and teach the Bible lessons indirectly through badgework activities. Annually, we can share the wonderful Good News of salvation directly by commemorating Easter with them. This year, we were involved in the girls’ overnight drill camp on the theme “Rise to the Challenge” and the theme verse “Be strong and courageous!” (Joshua 1:9a). We were given the opportunities to build bonds with the girls and screen Christian movies: “God is not Dead” and “The Jim Elliot Story”.
The 13th Company Girls’ Brigade Enrolment Service was held on 13th April 2024 in Beulah House. Thank God for the smooth running of the event and God’s enablement for the GB committee and Lifers to reach out to the girls, the alumni, the teachers and their parents. Pray for God’s wisdom in enabling the committee to continue to plan and carry out interesting and relevant activities to reach out to the girls.
- The GB Committee
Sister June sharing Easter message with sing-a-long.
Another session of GB parade facilitated by Volunteer Adult Leaders from Life BPC.