A Year in Review: Grace Through Valleys and Peaks
- CC
- Dec 20, 2024
- 11 min read
As we embrace the Advent season, we remember the birth of our Saviour, the Word who was in the beginning. With familiar carols resonating, we are filled with gratitude for the wondrous works upon our ministry throughout this enthralling year. All praise and glory to God for what was, what is, and what is to come. Because He is, thus we are.
Grace through Valleys and Peaks: 2024’s Journey
2024 is a year we will look back on fondly as a time of bungee jumping while watching the stock market. That’s the exhilaration of serving the Lord—diving into the unknown with trust and a bit of stomach-churning excitement. The outcome is His to behold. Truly, truly, no one, no, not one, can tell or even know what was coming our way. But isn't that part of the fun? Praise God for the surprises!
Our Regional Outreach
Our journey began in 2000, and over the past 24 years, our reach has expanded to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and, as of 2023, Indonesia. In 2018, we also played a crucial role in assisting our participants in Australia when they reached out for help to be trained. Whenever there’s a cry for help or a request for training in the region, we are there, ready to support.
Vietnam: A Story of Willingness
A noteworthy highlight is Vietnam. The word that stood out was “willing.” Their hunger for studying the Bible and their willingness to commit time to homework assignments was inspiring. Despite initial apprehensions among the young adults in leadership training, they embraced the challenges thrown at them during their “How to Plan and Lead PUP Lessons” workshop in November.
Cambodia: A Beacon of Growth
Another bright spot is Cambodia. We are grateful for Tanya Aderman, an American missionary proficient in Khmer, who acts as an interpreter during our training sessions. For those who attended Precept 30 last year, you might have seen her grace the stage with video footage of Cambodia's testimonies. Precept classes in Cambodia have grown exponentially, with combined classes, outreach to orphanages, dormitory ministry to university students, and translating 40-Minute materials. Praise the Lord!
Translating Precept Materials
We always start translation with the 40-Minute series. It requires no homework and is easier to transfer leadership principles and lead small groups. After several 40-Minute studies, we move on to the NISS (New Inductive Study Series). The PUP (Precept Upon Precept) series, with its depth of study and additional resource requirements (e.g., Bible dictionaries, commentaries), is widely available in English but limited in Asian languages.
The work of translation has evolved and is ever ongoing. Translations are done, tested, and piloted in their native countries. Just the 40-Minute series alone has 30 titles! The demand for translating Precept materials exceeds what voluntary translators can handle, making paid engagement of translators necessary.
To date, we have translated materials into Chinese (simplified and traditional), Malay, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Japanese. Isn’t it exciting that translation work into Indonesian has begun this year?
Our most translated material is in Chinese, available for purchase on our online bookstore.
🆕 Exciting News: How to Lead the 40-Minute Series in Chinese workshop happening on 28 April 2025. Sign up today!
Seed Funding
To get these translated materials out, Precept Singapore provides seed money—funds for the first translation and the first print. The proceeds from sales of the first print contribute to printing the next book and paying translators.
Partnership Support
We are blessed as a ministry to have support in our regional outreaches. Precept participants, leaders, and some churches bring Precept materials during their mission trips and train people in inductive Bible study.
How You Can Support Our Regional Work
Funding: Your generosity not only sustain our office but helps fuel our regional outreach and its expenses.
Purchase with Purpose: The proceeds from our nominally charged study materials support seed funds, financial aid and trainings.
Be a partner: On a mission trip? Bring Precept materials to help others know God and grow their faith through His Word.
Precept Study Tour
A Brief History
🇮🇱 Israel: The Beginning
Our journey began with the Israel tour in 2006, aiming to connect what people study and read with what they can see in the land. Israel was our focus, and so Stephen thought,"that was it—study tours to Israel."
🇬🇷 Greece: Expanding Horizons
But God had other plans. After 10 years, He inspired Stephen to consider Greece, in line with Paul’s missionary journey. In 2017, he embarked on a reconnaissance trip, and by 2018, we kicked off our Greece study tour. It went very well, extending our mission from Israel to Greece.
🇹🇷 Turkey: From ‘No’ to ‘Yes’
Our Lord's plan didn’t stop at Greece. In 2021, Stephen joined a trip to Turkey, initially to confirm his reservations about the seven churches, with firm resolution to say, "been there, done that, it’s a NO." However, seeing Turkey with his own eyes changed everything. Beyond rocks and ruins lies the New Testament, and he realized Turkey is essentially the New Testament. This trip led to the design of ‘The Acts of the Apostles and the Seven Churches of Revelation’ tour.
2024 Study Tours: Brink of Cancellation
🇹🇷 Turkey Study Tour (27 April to 10 May 2024): Originally planned for 2023 but canceled due to an earthquake, we were optimistic about 2024. Registrations came in slowly, just scraping past the minimum. In hindsight, it was a blessing—a perfect group for our inaugural tour. It went well, and we learned a lot from our guide.
🇬🇷 Greece Study Tour (15 September to 25 September 2024): This tour faced near-cancellation. By God’s grace, two sign-ups came through at the last moment, meeting the minimum. We ended up with 29 participants, and it turned out to be a wonderful group.
By His Grace, We Peaked!
After walking on tightropes for both tours, we released our Turkey Tour 2025 on 21 October with minimal expectations. Astonishingly, we reached full capacity within 3 ½ weeks! This journey felt like bungee jumping, held securely by God’s retractable rope. Only He can turn uncertainties into soaring success.
💡 Did you know?
Reaching the minimum number is crucial for fulfilling financial commitments to our tour agent.
Proceeds from the tours contribute to our ministry and regional outreach.
Pre-register for our tours to be the first informed upon release!
Connecting to Scriptures, Lives Transformed
Even after 18 years, Stephen's passion for these tours remains unwavering. Balancing three tours, regional outreaches, conducting workshops, and leading classes, he meticulously curates each tour booklet, itinerary, and devotional material to enrich participants' spiritual journey.
Bringing people to these historical sites to connect with Scripture is always exciting. We have witnessed lives transformed spiritually—these tours are a time of reflection, conviction, encouragement, and confirmation. They are spiritually encouraged and convicted, wanting to be closer to God and to know His Word more deeply. And that’s great! Our passion is to get people into the Word, and these tours connect people to Scripture.
These tours connect people to Scripture, transforming lives through reflection, conviction, encouragement, and confirmation.
Technological Advancements and Challenges
This year, our ministry underwent significant technological advancements. We overhauled our website to integrate an online store, class registrations, and credit card payments. Despite interface limitations, delays, and tech hiccups, we trusted in the Lord's timing, and the launch was successful without major disruptions. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Getting support for non-profits in Singapore proved challenging due to limited market share, and we faced higher rates compared to larger countries. However, we are grateful for every benefit secured--no matter how big or small.
💡 Fun fact: NPOs face stringent legitimacy checks. Can’t get more legit than that!
Digital Standstill and Social Media Setbacks
Despite advancements, we remain unable to provide digital versions of our materials. Our social media experienced setbacks twice: first on Instagram, then on Facebook, as Meta’s AI flagged us as ‘imposters.’ Maybe our branding was just too good! Although we re-established our Facebook page, it remains unapologetically neglected. We trust in God's direction, not worldly trends and bots, thus no TikTok either. No jiggling challenges for us!
Grace in the Valleys: Our Workshops
2024 in a Glance
A Promising Start
We began the year with high hopes and a modest yet encouraging intake for our 'Lead a Bible Study' workshops. January saw a promising start with more than 10 participants.
Wandering and Wondering in the Wilderness
However, from February to October, we found ourselves wandering in the wilderness of workshops. Sign-ups were unimpressive, with some workshops canceled and others teetering on the brink. The standout was our D4Y, which had strong intakes in January and July.
A Divine Turnaround
Just when doubts loomed and some year-end workshops faced cancellation, God intervened. We witnessed a sudden surge in enrollments, with many new participants and a few returning for refreshers. Our 'How to Study the Bible' workshop saw many new to Precept study. We raise a Hallelujah!
Essential Skills Workshops: The Valleys and Peaks
The Essential Skills Workshops aim to provide firm foundations in inductive Bible study and additional skills to enhance understanding. One of the low points of 2024 was the "Study the Bible" and "Word Study" workshops, but God catapulted us to success. The 'Study the Bible' workshop ended with 36 participants. Despite canceling the evening session, the morning session of the Word Study scraped past the minimum. Praise the Lord!
Lead a Bible Study Workshops: Raising the Next Generation of Leaders
A prevalent need is raising new leaders to lead Precept classes, with about 1,800 to 2,000 participants. While the decline in young adults stepping up to lead is concerning, we are grateful for our faithful leaders who have held on, some for over a decade.
From Zero to Hero
The 'Lead a Bible Study' workshops experienced a divine turnaround similar to the Essential Skills workshops. A sudden spike in enrollments saw 21 participants for the online PLPUP, with about 50% being regional participants, and 13 participants for the HTL40M in November.
Praise the Lord for this much-needed encouragement. We are grateful for every participant, new and returning, who joined us on this path. We do not take for granted this crazy good ending for 2024, and we ask for prayers for those yet to encounter His Word.
Young Adults (YA) Classes
It’s rare we are at a loss for words, but none too intelligible emerged with “YA”, and occasional sounds of 'erm' quivered through the void. We launched our first YA classes in 2019, but they only took off in 2020. Yes, that Covid year. We rejoiced when over 200 YAs enrolled through those two years.
The Core of Change: Scripture and Relationship with God
At the heart of Precept Ministries, we believe true change—personal relationship with God—comes from Scripture. Not just for YA, but for all ages. Why? Ephesians 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4. One cannot know God without knowing His Word.
Scripture guides you toward God. Precept guides you through Scripture. Know God Deeply. Live Differently.
Post-Covid Wilderness: Decline and Determination
Post-Covid, numbers declined. A YA leader quipped, “My class has been in the wilderness since 2023.” In 2024, this leader had to cancel a class midway. A faithful remnant of 15% has remained, and we keep the 85% in our prayers, hoping they remain engaged in God’s Word.
From Low to Hope: A New Beginning
Although the decline of our YA classes easily took the crown for the low-of-the-lows moment of 2024, it was not without its glimmer of hope. After much time spent on the white throne of thoughts, a new Wednesday class emerged in September, using the 40-Minute Study Series. Though a small and cozy group, it has indeed been a blessing, ending our 12 weeks of study with a nice fellowship dinner. We are also delighted to have created a new sub-group to delve deeper into Scripture using PUP materials. Praise the Lord!
Encouraging the Journey: 2025 and Beyond
On this note, we persist in encouraging our dear YA to resume their inductive Bible study journey. Come 2025, we have classes on all three levels—PUP, NISS, and 40-Minute Study Series. Like a broken record, we would say, stay connected but not disconnected with God's Word.
Getting Back to the Heart of Precept Inductive Bible Study
Our advocacy for Precept inductive Bible study is not just about the materials but about equipping others to engage in personal Bible study effectively—a lifelong skill.
There’s nothing more powerful than reading the testimonies of our directors, who began as Precept participants before taking active roles as trainers for over two decades. Looking at them, and even many other faithful Bible expositors globally, it ought to leave one to wonder, "Am I missing a point about the Word of God?"
With this, we share the words of Stephen Lim and Timothy Tan on how Precept inductive Bible Study has impacted their lives:
Stephen Lim, Outreach Director
"I've been to Bible school. I've had theological training. I know doctrines and all that, but there's a lot of head knowledge. Precept was life-changing because I was going to the Scriptures, and Scripture was jumping out at me and changing my life.I know the Scriptures, I know the teaching, not because of what I read or what I studied, but because I was going into the Word myself to study for myself. And that changed me. This is why we feel that Precept Bible study is very good because it is a life-changing Bible study.You're brought into the Word of God to interact with the Word of God, interact with God Himself, and He teaches you, tells you, convicts you, and encourages you. This is why we have always recommended Precept.
Stephen began his Precept journey in 1991 and attended all the Bible study classes at Precept Ministries International, Chattanooga, until 1996. He began leading Precept classes in 1996 and started his regional outreach in 2000 before adding the Bible study tours to his portfolio.
Timothy Tan, National Director
"It's just one key point. When I do Precept study, I need to mark the key words. I found that by marking the key words, it helps me to see the main point in the passage and get the main message that God wants to tell us. That's the thing that keeps me going. The impact on my life is seeing what God is trying to say; it helps to direct me, informs me how I should lead my life, not based on what I think or interpret. So, the transformation is being careful to live my life closely to God's Word."
Timothy began his Precept journey in the early 1980s when PUP material was first introduced into his church, even before Precept Singapore became Precept Singapore. He is currently still leading Precept classes and our workshops.
What’s Next for 2025?
There's so much we would like to tell you, but this newsletter cannot contain it all. As we conclude this reflection on 2024, we stand in awe of God's unwavering grace through every peak and valley we've traversed. Each high has filled our hearts with joy, and every low has strengthened our faith. We are profoundly grateful and blessed as a ministry, witnessing His hand guiding and sustaining us through it all. With hearts full of gratitude, we look forward to the journey ahead, trusting in His perfect plan and steadfast love.
Looking forward to 2025, we aim to bring back what matters:
Authenticity of the Precept Inductive Bible Study Method
Gatherings for leaders and members
In-person Classes and Workshops
Events, starting with our Creation Symposium on 18th January 2025
Young Adults Classes
Raising New Precept Leaders
New Workshops Planned
Commence your new year by committing to a Bible study for 2025! The best gift is to know God personally through His Word and be transformed. Look out for our next update! We will be filling you on what's to come in 2025. Or you browse through our website for the latest updates!
For now, keep well, our dear brethren! We wish you a blessed Christmas and a meaningful new year!
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