STEP '25: Digging Deeper into God’s Word and Building Kingdom Friendships

Ever wondered what our young people do during their school breaks or while they are waiting for university or National Service? Some may use this period of time to take up a temporary job, some go traveling for a few months, while some take up courses to learn a new skill. This year, 15 youths from across 9 Presbyterian churches decided to spend part of their break growing deeper in their faith and walk with God. Organised by the Presbyterian Church in Singapore’s Synod Youth Council, the Synod Training and Exposure Programme (STEP) program is a month-long internship designed to deepen our youths’ understanding of their faith and church. This year’s STEP program was held from 5th to 30th May.

A typical day at STEP program starts with an informal breakfast fellowship usually accompanied by discussions on interesting things from the previous day, then the first session starts at 10am with devotion led by the Steppers themselves; followed by lessons that take place in the morning and afternoon. The day ends with reflection and then heading out for dinner or back home. The sessions cover a wide range of topics including Presbyterian and reformed theology, the reformed Christian life, basic hermeneutics, biblical counselling and apologetics. The Steppers also embarked on church visits to have a look at other denomination’s worship.

When asked what was most impactful about the STEP program, Eva from Adam Road Presbyterian Church shared that the bible reading sessions on the book of Titus were very helpful for her. She shared about being introduced to tools that help her interpret the bible passages accurately and digging deeper while staying within the context of the book. She learnt about how biblical passages are structured and all these have been helpful to her personal bible reading. The basic hermeneutics classes were taught by Rev Chee Hong from Tong Chai Presbyterian Church. Sybil from Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church also shared about how STEP has allowed her to appreciate God’s Word a lot more. The sessions gave her a lot of insights into how much beauty there is in the Word. She felt more equipped and confident to unpack the bible better and felt more excited and empowered to do so.

She particularly appreciated the Hebrew poetry workshop conducted by Dr Peter Hoe from Singapore Bible College. She shared, “I could see the pattern in poetry. It is beautiful how different devices were used, how poetry gives different emphases and how beautiful it is written. It has enabled me to look at God’s word through a new set of lenses.” Lucas from True Way Presbyterian Church shared how he enjoyed the practical aspect of the STEP program. He appreciated the Christian counselling sessions and how it has been individually applied to self and to his youth group. He also really liked the session where they were taught about the TULIP, its application and how it impacts the Christian life.

When asked on what is one thing they found challenging during the STEP program, Lucas shared about not quite agreeing with all that was taught and found himself spurred to carry on his own research. Sybil shared how she was confronted with how unfamiliar she was with the bible and that being a wake-up call to her which she is very appreciative of. Eva shared that she was quite nervous when signing up for the STEP program, knowing that there will be youths from different churches. She wondered what the group dynamics would be like, if people would stick to their own church cliques and if they would get along. Yet what she found out was that everyone who came were like-minded and truly interested to learn and that really bonded them. She saw that everyone was willing to make friends, and to journey with each other through the 4 weeks of intense biblical learning. This building of kingdom friendships is one key aspect of the STEP program as it brings together young people from the different Presbyterian churches.

Lucas added, “in the Presbyterian Church, we are kind of known for not knowing each other and it is really hard to find places where Presbyterians come together other than during Easter and even coming together with the Chinese churches. I am happy that there are so many [youths from these] other churches that we can talk to; they all have different styles of service and [ways of] doing things.” Sybil agrees and shared that when placed alongside fellow Presbyterians, it feels like a safe and conducive space for learning and for whatever thoughts she had. The fellowships were fun and chaotic in a good way. Eva also added that she knows these friendships will continue even after they leave the program. She said, “it is really encouraging to have a group of Christians you know are really earnest in their walk with God and who are willing to have those conversations with you over meals or outside the program time.”

When finally asked on what is one big takeaway they feel God is impressing on their hearts in this session, the Steppers shared on being encouraged by fellow peers in the areas of church service and how it has spurred them to step up and participate more in church ministries. Another shared on how she was encouraged to devote herself more in the reading of God’s Word. While one even shared considerations to go to Trinity Theological College to study and to learn more, after realizing that there are many more things to learn and discover about God.

Indeed, the STEP program has taught our Steppers that living the Christian life is like piecing together a puzzle that is still incomplete. Eva shared, “ I came into the program thinking that I will get my questions answered but I left with more questions. I feel that STEP helped me to look at faith with more colour and I want to explore it more deeply and I am excited to do so.”

So congratulations to our 2025 STEP program cohort! May what you all have learnt and gained in those 4 weeks be the stepping stone towards a vibrant faith journey accompanied by fellow like-minded Steppers! To God be the glory!