50 Years Building His Kingdom - Far Eastern Bible College

Life
Bible-Presbyterian
Church
The first Life YF
Bible Camp, 1967
Page 146
There are also regular evangelistic sessions
to Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio Central.
The Beginnings
But back in the 1950’s, a typical YF
meeting took place in a “smelly cockroachinfested
hall” behind the old Life Church
in Prinsep Street. YFers would begin by
singing the YF anthem “To know Christ
and to make Him known” and then recite
the Apostles’ Creed.
Rev. Philip Heng usually led the
meeting in chorus singing. It was great
singing, a feature of YF that was influenced
by Youth for Christ that started in Singapore
in those days. Sometimes YF members
would give a musical item accompanied
by musical instruments such as the
musical saw and violin. Music was an important
feature in YF. It added joy and interest
to the meetings. After singing, the
group had Bible reading and prayer. The
Prayer Secretary would give prayer slips
to three or four members who would pray.
Then a message would be preached and the
closing hymn sung. Every member took
turns to lead in singing, pray, read the Bible
and chair the meetings. Much emphasis
was given to training so that “no man
(might) despise thy Youth”.
Teaching Faithful Men
An objective of the YF was to train
leaders for the Church and the meetings
and activities were geared to this end.
Members would take turns in public speak-
ing. Dr Andrew Heng, who was at the first
YF meeting, recounts: “A regular feature
was sermonettes by YF members. Three
speakers would give 15-minute sermons.”
The YF even had leadership training camps
but talks on Biblical basis of leadership
were not emphasised. Leadership was by
example, just as Jesus said, “I came to minister
and not to be ministered unto”.
In the 1950’s, the YF started with a
dozen people and grew to more than 40
people. The members were mainly students
in secondary and sixth form classes and
working young adults. They held talks by
inviting speakers and for variety they
played sermon tapes on a tape recorder (a
novelty in those days!).
Other objectives of the LCYF were
and still are service and evangelism. Many
YFers filled in the lack of manpower in
the Church by teaching Sunday School.
When the Sembawang outreach was
started, a team from the YF volunteered to
teach at the Sunday School. The group
served at the Convalescent Home every
Sunday afternoon and conducted Sunday
School with the little children.
In 1976, a group of YFers led by the
incumbent President Peter Quek went to
Grace B-P Church to found the new Grace
YF. Then, in 1979, LCYF Chairman Peter
Eng led a group of YFers to found the new
work in Woodlands which today is the New
Life B-P Church. They met for weekly
Bible study and evangelism in Kranji War
Memorial and evangelised the Woodlands
New Town.
YFers have also gone with Pastor on
his missionary trips to Malaysia. The
LCYF had an Evangelistic Band (EB) in
which membership was voluntary. Members
had to give a report to the EB secretary.
YF members were involved in counselling
those who raised their hands at
Gospel meetings, which was customary in
those days. Today, evangelistic activities
are prayerfully planned and organised by
the Outreach Committee.
The LCYF held combined meetings
with other B-P Church YFs such as Calvary
Jurong, Grace, Sharon, Zion, and Mt.