But there was one thing we knew for sure: the existence of Tree of Life Christian Church must be related to the Great Commission. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) The work of the Great Commission includes evangelism. Therefore, within just three months of starting the church, we held our first evangelistic meeting on Maundy Thursday in April 2009. Our beloved Reverand Goh Seng Fong was the speaker at this first outreach event.All ten or so church members,

took on different responsibilities—some prepared refreshments, others designed and printed invitation cards, some arranged the venue and handled ushering. Everyone went out to invite people. We encouraged one another and worked together in unity for the Lord. At that time, our evangelistic meetings did not yet include a choir presentation. The work of the Great Commission is not just evangelism; it also includes discipling those who hear and believe the gospel—helping them become followers of Jesus who live according to God’s Word. As such, from the very beginning, both children’s and adult Sunday School were an essential part of Tree of Life Christian Church’s Sunday programs after worship. Pastor Andrew and sister put a lot of effort into preparing solid materials for both the adults and children. The church highly values the serious study of the Bible. After worship, the worship space would be transformed into Sunday School classrooms. That small space of just a few dozen square meters was the humble starting ground for us.

In the blink of an eye, we are now 16 years old. We now gather in our own place, with fully equipped classrooms for different groups to meet simultaneously. We have several pianos and keyboards to enrich our worship and singing. Our evangelistic meetings now feature choir presentations. All of this is wonderful, of course, but they are only the visible signs of improvements. God’s grace far exceeds all of this! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) The way God has led us over the past 16 years is beyond what we could have imagined. God has been fulfilling His plans, and we have had the privilege of being part of it. God has brought many people and churches to help us carry out His work. The process of building the church was not without challenges and sorrow—especially when people left. But each time was an opportunity to learn, to depend on the Lord, and to experience Him more deeply. These events remind us to be alert in doing the Lord’s work and to build each other up in love. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) We are thankful that God has built up a spiritual family at Tree of Life Christian Church, where we can receive spiritual nourishment and experience love within the body of Christ—something we may not find elsewhere.

As we give thanks, we must not forget the very core of our calling—the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus! Every church has areas that need improvement and must stay relevant with the times in order to better fulfill the Great Commission. We must continuously evaluate ourselves and make adjustments. The digital age and the rise of the internet bring positive opportunities but also create challenges, negatively impacting people’s lives and impacting their spiritual and emotional well-being. How can the church better share the gospel with this generation? These people could be our children, parents, coworkers, classmates—those around us. The church leadership warmly welcomes suggestions from brothers and sisters and especially hopes that more will actively participate. On another front, we also see that the Lord is opening up new mission fields for us, and our leaders are exploring how to lead the church in participating in them. Ultimately, the vision to fulfill the Great Commission must be passed down from generation to generation in the church. We need young people to rise up, be equipped, and lead Tree of Life Christian Church in continuing the work of the Great Commission. Please pray for the church, and consider: what can you do for the Lord and for Tree of Life Christian Church?