Serving in the Boys’ Brigade

By Vincent Chia

Serving in a uniform group is not new to me. I grew up in a uniform group during my teenage years. I was with the St. John Ambulance. However, serving in the Boys’ Brigade (BB) is a whole new experience. In the second half of 2022, Ps Richard shared with me that BB is a uniform group based on christian values, with opportunities to evangelise and mentor teenagers who are non-believers. I didn’t give much thought to it at first but after some coaxing, I agreed to partner with Ps Richard in the BB ministry and thus my journey began.

To serve in the ministry, I need to first attend the Officer Cadet Orientation (OCO) and thereafter, the Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC). The OCO was a one-day session on zoom and the BOTC was over three Saturdays. The OCO introduces the founding of BB by Sir William Alexander Smith. The BOTC shares that being an officer means being a mentor to the boys. For me, this was my first time being a mentor to someone. From the two courses, I found out that investing in a person’s life is very valuable. So as the days passed, I am better equipped to be a mentor with the skills gained.

In a blink of an eye, 2023 came and I was tasked to be the officer-in-charge to the secondary one students. In these three months, being a regular attendee of the weekly parades, I have grown, both as an officer and also as an elder whom they can rely on. In every parade, I would try to train the boys and also build friendship with them after the parades. Still, as a new officer, I take heart that God is with me and I look to Him for wisdom. As I continue this journey, I pray that God will use me to shine His light and show the right path to the boys. To God be the glory. Amen.

Confirmation was overall an interesting experience, and as I look back, I have many things to be grateful for. As Confirmation classes are held before church service, I had to be disciplined and come to church earlier. Though it was a bit tiring and meant having to wake up earlier, it was rewarding as I managed to learn more about Christ and strengthen my faith.

The lessons were well-planned and the teachers put in a lot of work with slides and worksheets to educate us interactively and engage us . They were very patient and good-natured as well especially when we asked questions. By encouraging us, they managed to get us to step out of our comfort zones and be open about learning more about the Christian faith.

On the day of Confirmation, I was quite nervous. On the one hand, it seemed that by being confirmed meant that I take full responsibility in my faith and I have to put in effort to do my best and keep going. However, I soon realized that being confirmed was also about entrusting my life to God, remembering and giving thanks and praise to God that I am who I am today. It also allowed me to reflect on the many things God has given me and made me closer to God.

And hence, with the teachers guiding and helping me along this path to Confirmation, I have grown in my knowledge and have also learnt to trust and lean on God for providence and strength. It has not been an easy road, through Sunday School all the way to where I am now (11 years!) I have grown and developed a lot through the support of the church. I would like to thank all my teachers for aiding me in this journey.