Positioning Ourselves in a Pandemic for His Promise

A new beginning, a new premise and a new community to touch.

Even in a disruptive year like 2020, God’s commitment to call, equip, and send His people would not be stopped. On November 1, 2020, New Life Church (formerly New Life Assembly of God) officially moved into her new premises at TSL 101, Eunos Avenue 3, less than three months after getting the approval from the authorities.

Even in a disruptive year like 2020, God’s commitment to call, equip, and send His people would not be stopped. On November 1, 2020, New Life Church (formerly New Life Assembly of God) officially moved into her new premises at TSL 101, Eunos Avenue 3, less than three months after getting the approval from the authorities.

The excitement to shift was justified. Since 2016, the church leadership unanimously felt that God was calling the church into a new season of faith. For more than thirty years, New Life Church (NLC) had been faithfully serving God to preach the good news of salvation in a two-thousand-odd square feet space at Association Building, Lorong 16 Geylang, which was no longer enough to accommodate the needs of members, seekers and invited friends or guests. The congregation had grown from about 20 members in 1965 when Rev Lee Seang Lip and his wife helmed the pastoral leadership to more than a hundred-and-twenty today under Senior Pastor Rev Timothy Poon.

Church Growth

By God’s grace, after two years of looking at various properties, the church found a suitable space at TSL 101. The building owners received the church’s desire to rent warmly and provided much support during this COVID-19 period.

However, there were still numerous “hiccups” and disruptions which surfaced during the process of the rental application that challenged the congregation’s faith. As a result of the COVID-19 measures, the number of active members declined. The amount of tithes and offerings dropped and the future became more uncertain.

The Spirit Leads

Yet, NLC decided to go ahead with the move, trusting in God’s promise that He would be “doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) in this new and unfamiliar situation. Rev Timothy shared with the church his deep conviction that the church had to follow where “The Spirit Leads”, just as they had done so 10 years ago in the MacPherson community.

In 2006, the church rented a shop unit in Circuit Road to provide free tuition and reading programs to children from needy families. A ministry for the elderly also began in earnest soon after. Subsequently, the church committed to ministering to the community there by purchasing the shop unit and registering an independent non-profit organization Life Edu Services to manage its operations till today.

Touching Lives in the Community

Similarly, this shift sparked a renewal of hearts in many of the NLC members to return to God’s call for all believers to “uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed [and to] rescue the weak and needy” (Psalms 82:3-4).

Before moving in, the church conducted neighborhood walks for the members to get acquainted with the residents and workers who frequent the vicinity of the new premises. During these walks, the church members would show God’s love to strangers they met through acts of kindness and offers of prayer. Some would also note down what the Holy Spirit was saying to them about meeting the needs of the communities.

Lives to Touch

Through such initiatives, NLC is getting a clearer picture of the groups of people God would be calling her to serve in the next two to three years: foreign domestic workers, young couples, and foreigners who come to Singapore to work.

Even as the pandemic continues to shatter traditional notions of working and gathering together as a body of Christ, let us not despair but find new ways to love and serve Him. Despite being a small church, NLC remains dedicated to the mission of God to “reconcile to Himself all things” (Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:19), most recently adding the Eunos community to her community outreach portfolio in spite of the ongoing situation.

How are you positioning yourself today to reach your communities?

(Photos taken before Phrase 2 Heightened Alert)