GBC Day 2013 Observance & Worship Service
Dated: 7th July 2013
Venue: EBC Church Dwarka, New Delhi
Speaker: Rev. (Dr.) V Ginsianthang, Vice Principal, GBC
“Teach, Entrust, Witness”
The Evangelical Baptist Convention Church is observing first Sunday of July every year as Grace Bible College (GBC) Day. GBC was established in July 1981 when Pastor Lalngaisang dedicated to the Almighty God. As such, today’s congregation beckoned the 32nd observance of GBC day.
To start with, The Worship Team led the GBC Day observance & worship Service with hymns of praises, setting the tune rightly which, thereby, arousing the spiritual emotion of the congregation. Reminding the congregation how worthwhile is to praise and worship our Lord Almighty, the Worship Team steered the worship to a mass prayer. The mass prayer was followed by the hymn, “Khovel in apiak theihlouh…” which was sang while the offerings were collected by the ushers. The offering was dedicated by Upa Kam Suanthang.
Thangzasiam Paite, BYF Vice Chairman and coordinator, Team Project Nehemia made a report of the just concluded “Evan Teachers’ Condensed Training Course” held at GBC Lamka. It may be pertinent to mention here that Team Project Nehemia (PN) has sent 04 Resource Persons for assisting the trainers and presenting seminar papers in the said course. The Coordinator, on behalf of Team PN, expressed his gratitude and appreciations to all the resource persons and those who extend their helping hands in preparing materials for the same. He also presented gifts to them as a token of appreciation.
Pastor V. Nenglian, then, dedicated Baby Lamthiannem d/o Mrs & Mr Khamchin Naulak in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to God for him, for the Glory of His name. This was followed by Pastoral prayer, which was customarily conducted on the first Sunday of the every month. The Local Pastor, after reading I Timothy 3:1, offered prayers on behalf of the congregation.
GBC Alumni – Mrs. Biakmawi leh Mrs. Ruati – presented a special number (song) titled “Singlamteh lam hon hilh”.
The speaker of the day’s worship Rev. (Dr.) V Ginsianthang, Vice Principal, GBC, Lamka, then, occupied the pulpit to take his time. At the very outset, Rev. Thang greeted the congregations and expressed his thankfulness to the Almighty God – our help in ages past. As it was an observance of GBC Day, the speaker preferred to dwell on reporting, statistically, the achievements of GBC as well as sharing the importance of its existence. His reports are summarized in the following paragraphs.
The Grace Bible College was established by the erstwhile ECC in 1981 with a view to uphold the evangelical faith, to build servant leaders of the Church and mission of tomorrow. Initially, GBC was run with local dialects as the medium of teaching and offered only two programmes viz C.Th & G.Th. Later, it was upgraded at the Bachelor of Theology level in English Medium in 1993. In subsequent years, the college was again upgraded to Master of Divinity level which was accredited by the Asia Theological Association. Since its inception till the close of the last semester, as many as 981 students graduated from this institution. Further details can be accessed at GBC Website.
Currently, there are a total of 122 students enrolled in various programmes in this college. There are 13 Teaching Staff and 10 Non-teaching staff working in this college. While giving reports of its achievements, the speaker also called on to the congregation to get involved in ministry of GBC. He also outlined various categories to which an individual or group can get involved effectively in the ministry of GBC. [Further reports Click here]
Further, the Vice Principal of GBC depicted 4 points on the importance of Bible College for EBC in particular and all Christian Churches in general, which are summarized as below:-
1. Keeping the church members’ faithful in their doctrines (evangelical doctrine): The GBC strives to impart sound evangelical approach to Christian theology. Therefore, this institution has been instrumental in keeping the Evangelical doctrine. And also helps in protecting believers not to be tempted by false doctrine.
2. Partnership for Gospel: GBC has had students from different places, cultures and churches. They came together for Christ to extend His Kingdom on earth. This ultimately covers the opportunity for partnership to spread Gospel to the world.
3. Storing treasure for Heaven: The collective contributions/donations for running GBC or investing our wealth and treasure for the cause of establishing/functioning of GBC has not been gone in vain. GBC has produced many servant-leaders, missionaries, pastors, evangelists, etc, and, through them God’s kingdom was expanded, which is the wills of God. Therefore, through GBC we can store up treasures for heaven.
4. Creating Heaven on Earth: Heaven is the destination place of the faithful. It will be the place where all walks of life (culture, languages, etc) will sing together and praise the precious name of our Lord. Similarly, GBC is also the place where different types of people, races, places, language, etc came together and praised our Lord in unison. Therefore, GBC can also be term as one of the place for creating heaven on earth.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Thang emphasized on the need for the growth of the college and urged the congregation to pray for the same – that for God nothing is impossible! And, in accordance with the tradition in the Church, the Local Pastor welcomed and introduced the first timers. Thereafter, the last hymn of the day, “Toupa Tuni’n Bang Ka hih dia” was sung, after which Upa Thianzakham closed the worship services with benediction.
Highlight of the Next Worship Service (14 July 2013): It will be a Holy Communion service. The local pastor will administer Holy Communion, as minister and Upa will assist him.
~Siampu Thomte,
Media Team
