GKIDZ: The Complete Story Of The Barnabas Club Sanctification Camp

2007 is the Year of Victory for FCBC.

This church-wide theme has also been taken to heart by some 294 young Warriors of Light from GKidz who congregated at the MOE Adventure Training Centre for the Barnabas Club Sanctification Camp held between 3 and 4 March.  The purpose of this camp was to equip our young Warriors as arrows ready to be shot out into their schools to claim lives for Christ.

The day got off to a roaring start as the children marched off in groups to the high- and low-element obstacle stations to confront their fears while learning to work as a team.  After putting aside their gender and personality differences, the groups quickly gelled together to overcome challenges such as abseiling down a wall, climbing through a spider web of ropes and a tyre, supporting one another to scale a low wall and swinging like Tarzan on a rope amidst much cheer and encouragement.

At "The Wall", groups initially squabbled over who would scale the wall first. Soon, young boys and girls rose to the challenge, heaving and pushing one another up the wall without complaining, but shouting words of encouragement to their less physically inclined peers all the while.  At that instant, some of the boys I had taught previously seemed to have grown up before my eyes - transforming from little monkeys into leaders in their own right.

Next, the children entered the highlight of the camp – the Underground Church, a simulated environment where they faced escalating levels of persecution for their faith just as persecuted Christians in real life. Beyond collecting beans in exchange for gifts at the 'marketplace', the children were to fulfill the primary objective of this game: to share their faith to pre-believers despite risking potential arrest by Secret Police who would send them to the 'torture chamber' to face controlled physical and mental testing.  Those who were not arrested were tempted by 'material rewards' in exchange for renouncing their faith. 

In the 'torture chamber', I witnessed the tenacity of the children as they gritted their teeth and endured the physical pain of performing multiple half squats and leg raises.  Despite our attempts at cajoling them to give up their faith, the children shouted back in our faces, "My God can save me!" I imagined God's pleasure at a particular girl's response when she was repeatedly taunted by the torturers with the notion that perhaps her God would not save her and continued "torturing" her.  Yet, this girl bravely muttered, "Even now, my God can bless me." - leaving me totally speechless.

In the end, the young warriors who held firmly to their faith were subjected to a public trial where their trust in God was severely tested.  However, they soon realised the fruits of their faith in God as Pastor Linda revealed the objective of the game. The whole congregation clapped to affirm the surviving young warriors for their undeterred trust in God despite the mounting persecution and temptation.  The day closed on a reflective note as the children returned to the dormitories to process and pray through with their leaders the lessons gleaned from the day's activities.  I listened to my group of girls as they shared with me their fears and thoughts which crossed their minds throughout the structured experience.  In return, I told them about my hope that they would always seek to store up treasures in heaven and not on earth.

A rousing worship time kick-started the second day where the children danced and sang to the GKidz theme song for 2007, "The Warrior's Hands", followed by equipping sessions to impart the servitude heart of Jesus towards others.  The session also presented a touching moment when Pastor Linda got the children to pray for their leaders, thanking them for their tireless service towards the children every Sunday. Tears rolled down my eyes when my girls gathered around me and placed their hands on me, asking God to bless me.

After a sumptuous lunch served by the children who put into action the lessons taught that day, the buses came and drove everyone to TOUCH Community Theatre. There, the children were equipped with practical handles to share the gospel with their classmates and friends. The defining moment of the camp came when GKidz Barnabas Team Leader Jit Kiong gave the call for the children to rise up as warriors ready to be shot out by our Warrior God into the world to fulfil Psalms 127:4, "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth".  It was a sight to behold as many young warriors rushed to the altar to answer God's call.

Last but not least, the children's families came to witness the prize-giving ceremony whereby the young warriors were commended for their valour displayed in the Underground Church activity. The three teams which came up tops were awarded prizes.  The day ended on a sombre note as families then partook of the Holy Communion to set apart their lives in serving God as a family unit.

The GKidz Barnabas Club Sanctification Camp truly left a deep impression in my heart. Besides bonding while eating, enduring cold-water showers and sleeping in sleeping bags together with my girls, it was amazing to witness the children's remarkably high level of faith in God.  Their words and actions left me beyond a doubt that beneath the veneer of childlikeness, there exists in every one of my girls a deep knowledge of who God is, far beyond my imagination.  For that, I am thankful to God for His reminder not to look down on the little ones and to always see them through Jesus' eyes – the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Words From Some GKidz Leaders...

"Dear team! Thank GOD for the awesome camp! I thank GOD for all of u too, my dear co-labourers in CHRIST. We shall continue to pray for the wonderful work GOD has started in our children, that it will be brought to completion in CHRIST JESUS. AMEN and AMEN! Just to elaborate on GOD's miracle, actually about 9am on Saturday, my handphone was left with just one bar of battery. Then, I was looking around for a Nokia charger but no one seemed to have it. So I carried on with my briefing and prayed that GOD would sustain it. At about 12 noon (three hours later), it was beeping – indicating low battery. Normally, it would have gone flat in another one to two hours (without me even using it much). It continued to remain in the low battery mode all the way throughout the outdoor activity (lasting from 1pm to 5pm); my handphone was heavily used as many called me and throughout the Underground Church activity at night when I was the secret pastor. Finally, it 'died' on Sunday, 5pm, when the camp just ended.

Why I added in all these details is to testify of GOD's goodness and miraculous provision! Personally, I was awestruck by the ALMIGHTY! I caught a glimpse of the parting of the Red Sea and the multiplication of five loaves and two fishes. I believe that through these, GOD wants to encourage all of you (pastors, team leaders, BC leaders) who have been faithfully serving HIM, that HE is the GOD of the so much more! We serve a GOD who is faithful and HE will never fail! To GOD be All the Glory!”

- Yong Shin Shin, Barnabas Club Leader