The year 2015 will be a difficult year. In the first Sunday of May (or more probably, June) this year, the church will worship the Lord on Sunday as two congregations. One will be conducted in Mandarin and the other, in English. The advantages are many. Amongst which is we will get to sing the whole hymn in either Mandarin or English. Without having to read scriptures in both languages and sermon translation, the worship service will also be shortened to 1 hour and 15 minutes. For those who are more comfortable with the English language, you will hear the pastoral prayer and the announcements in English. This new arrangement will enable us to worship the Lord better and enjoy His presence. I believe we will also be encouraged to bring new friends to church.

Before I go on, I want to give thanks to God for you all. For the past years, Sunday Worship Service was bilingual. It was not, I feel, the most comfortable environment to worship God due to disruption caused by translation. Yet, because you love God and love this church, you put up with the discomfort. God has also honoured your faithfulness. This church has grown both spiritually and in number. Indeed, God has shown Himself faithful when He promised that “those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psa 126:5).

Many of you have faithfully served and attended worship service. Thank you and praise the Lord. That said, however, we are also aware that by separating into two congregations, the worship attendance of both the Mandarin and Chinese will each be halved. Last year’s average attendance was 72. Come May 2015, this figure will drop to 36. When you come for worship service, there will be many empty seats, and many more seats than people.

Having been used to seeing many more people on Sunday worship service, you will almost definitely feel a little disheartened or disappointed. Perhaps you will say something like this: “Attendance is so low.” The singing will also not be as good when there are now far fewer voices. We will also not get to see some friends whose fellowship we enjoy as they are in the other congregation. There will be a marked degree of loneliness. Hence, dear friends and members of Tree of Life, please resolve in the new year to faithfully attend Sunday Worship service. When the attendance is so low, even one or two persons missing will be acutely felt. Conversely, even one person who attends worship service will bring great joy and encouragement to that congregation.

When May or June 2015 arrives, we will enter into a very difficult phase of the church’s history. Your faithful presence will make a critical difference to the church’s growth. This is the time when the church needs you most. God has put you in this church not by chance. By God planned numerous coincidences (as you can detect them when you study the Book of Esther), Esther became the Queen of Persia. But what is the purpose? Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, told her this (Est 4:13-14) when she hesitated to save her own people, the Jews, from getting killed by Haman:

Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

Can you do something for you Lord by faithfully attending Sunday Worship Service? God will use you to build His church.