Together with Bishop Low Jee King, Clergy, Pastors and leaders of Church of the Epiphany (COTE), Century Christian Fellowship (CCF) and Chapel of the Resurrection – Chinese (COR) gathered on 26th March 2022 at Abundant Grace Presbyterian Church (AGPC) for a time of tri-lingual (English, Tamil and Mandarin) worship and prayer.

It was the first time all 3 churches have gathered for prayer during this pandemic period, and we thank God for creating the opportunity for this gathering. Bro Abraham Manimuthu, Vicar’s Warden of COTE, brought everyone down Epiphany’s memory lane; to serve as a reminder of where we were, and to where God has led us thus far.

This combined prayer is truly a sign of God’s unity among His people, and we are excited to what God has in store for us all!

From 15th to 17th Dec 2021, to spread the Christmas cheer, in collaboration with Jalan Kayu Constituency, we distributed gift packs and Sheng Siong vouchers to the residents of Buangkok Crescent, Blocks 986C and 986D.

About 60 members, both young and senior, from Church of the Epiphany (COTE), Century Christian Fellowship (CCF), and Chapel of the Resurrection – Chinese (COR), came together for this inaugural project called: CHRISTMAS GIFT 2021 – Because He cares, We care”. This Christmas season presented an opportunity for us to reach out to the needy residents within the nearby communities and Buangkok Crescent was one such community that we identified.

On 15th Dec 2021, MP for Jalan Kayu, Ms. Ng Ling Ling, graced the occasion, and together with us, distributed gift packs and Sheng Siong vouchers to residents. She shared her experience:

“I’m so grateful to the Church of the Epiphany, all the volunteers, for making time to understand the needs of the community in Jalan Kayu. And to take actions to bless them with this distribution at a very timely season of the year, when a lot of families celebrate Christmas and they have thought about those who are low income and to make sure that they also have the joy of the season. It has really been a wonderful evening”

The Church of the Epiphany would like to thank Ms. Ng Ling Ling and her team for joining us to bless the residents of Buangkok Crescent.

When asked about the significant moments of our lives, many would say the day I was born, or the day I got married. However, there is one other moment in the lives of an Anglican where the significance of birth and marriage converge. That day is our confirmation. It is the day where were are reborn, renouncing our old life, to live as a new creation in Christ Jesus and entering a union with him, with us as his bride, and him our bridegroom in the presence of his church as witnesses of the rebirth and union.

The Church of the Epiphany had its confirmation service on the 26^th of September 2021. It was such a blessing and honour to have Bishop John Chew confirm 12 candidates during our 12pm service held at Abundant Grace Presbyterian Church. Red was the colour of the altar linen for this special day to remind us about the salvation that comes from the blood of Jesus and to remember and honour the Holy Spirit, our help and comforter sent by God to empower the church to rise up as witnesses for Christ and to guide us on the path of righteousness. During the confirmation service, the church witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit over the candidates as Bishop John Chew laid his hands to pray for each candidate.  We celebrated along with the candidates at that moment cheering on their decision to follow Christ and commit to his church.

The journey towards confirmation for the candidates was not a simple one. It was one that involved time, effort, and sacrifice. Confirmation classes were conducted weekly on Saturdays virtually through Zoom for several weeks leading up to the confirmation service. The time and effort that they had put into these classes were encouraging and they had responded towards God and his church in a positive manner, testifying boldly about what Christ has done in their lives. Here are some short testimonies from the candidates about their confirmation Journey.

“Taking confirmation was a new experience that I have never felt before. I experienced the presence of God so strongly and my heart was filled with joy and my mind was at peace when Bishop John Chew laid his hands on me to pray and confirm me. Taking my very first holy communion was such a significant experience for me as I learned about the reason behind why we do it during our confirmation classes and knowing the importance of it made the experience even more special for me” – Christina Kanmani

“My testimony for the confirmation is that I felt the love of God showering upon me and I was renewed. It was a different feeling, very special and I felt that my relationship with God had strengthened and my love for him had deepened, making me happier and stronger. During my first Holy Communion, I actually coughed because it was my first time and the experience was new to me. But then I realized that the holy communion was not just about eating the bread and drinking the wine but it was remembering the sacrifice Christ made for me on the cross and how good and merciful God is towards me. – Faith Rubavathi

The Church of the Epiphany congratulates the newly confirmed candidates and is committed to supporting them in their Christian walk with God. May they shine brightly and be used by God as effective witnesses for Christ, his gospel, and the Church. Amen

About Revd Thomas 

In his time at COTE, Revd Thomas has energetically served and has been involved in many of our church activities. He has served as an Altar server, a Worship Team member, and also an LRM facilitator. He has also gone on mission trips to bring the good news to the lost. 

Just before he entered full-time theological studies in July 2012, he served as a Youth Coordinator and also as the Vicar’s Warden, in COTE. He successfully completed his studies and graduated from Trinity Theological College in June 2015 and entered into full-time ministry at My Saviour’s Church. 

Visit to COTE

On 15th August 2021, Revd Thomas brought God’s Word on the theme of “Overcoming Crisis”.

He shared that when we feel as if our very soul hurts from news reports of another shooting, evil act or disaster, how do we find comfort? He reminded us that here is a place of refuge – Our Beloved God! 

When times of crisis come, all who believe in Christ and take refuge in God are assured of victory. Though the circumstances may seem bleak, the resources scarce, and the options too few, the truth is that with God we can overcome anything.

Oftentimes, we give up in the face of crisis because of the turmoil and the chaos going on in our minds and our circumstances. We worry about what will happen next, how we will be able to face the crisis, and if we can ever make it through. These things cause us to fret and even give up. Christ’s victory, however, assures us that no matter what we face, He has already won for us.

We want to thank Revd Thomas for ministering to us, through God’s Word. We pray that God continues to use him and his family, mightily.

Baptism is one of the most significant milestones in a believer’s walk with God. It is a public declaration of our personal decision to make Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

On the 18th of April, a Baptism Service, which was conducted by Revd. Canon Steven Asirvatham and Revd. Paul Xavier, was held for two individuals at our temporary location, Abundant Grace Presbyterian Church.

These two individuals were led to Christ by Revd. Paul Xavier. It was indeed a great day for the church to rejoice in the Lord for what He orchestrated in the lives of these precious souls as they chose to go through water baptism. Baptism is an important step of obedience that shows others we have personally trusted Jesus for our salvation. Jesus was baptized when He was on earth, and we do this to follow His example.

Jasher Sardgunan Ganesan

Jasher Sardgunan who was once completely broken, accepted Christ in his life when he was 38 years old. Our Lord Jesus did a miracle by healing Jasher’s mother who was a stroke patient and renewed his faith in Christ. On the 18th of April 2021, he was reborn again as a Christian, and today Jasher is a happier man in the Lord and wants to spread the love of Jesus! Praise the Lord.

Ruth Bavani

On the verge of suicide and beset by constant evil thoughts, Ruth Bavani was introduced to Christ through our church members. Jesus met her during our Church drama. Praise the Lord! Indeed, God puts the right people at the right places to bring his flock to Him. On the 18th of April 2021, Ruth was reborn through baptism. What incredible ways our Lord works in!

Louise Yashini Sardgunan

On the 18th of April, Jasher Sardgunan and Teresa’s daughter “Louise Yashini Sardgunan” went through Infant Baptism by Revd. Canon Steven Asirvatham. What a joy to celebrate baby Louise’s christening! God’s word is established: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone; the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Every year, Easter is grandly celebrated in the Church of The Epiphany (COTE) with exclusive items lined up for the special service, starting off right with the ringing of church bells, followed by a series of special musical drama & choir performances, and not forgetting to end the special occasion with an exciting candlelight walk-through.

Unfortunately, for the past two years, our Easter Services have been largely toned down due to the COVID-19 safety precautions and social distancing restrictions in place.

However, we celebrated our 2021 Easter service meaningfully, by conducting this special joyous service both in-person (limited to 100 pax) and also via exclusive live streaming! This made it possible to share our special occasion further, with millions of people all over the world, and to receive blessings.

During this special occasion, Revd Paul Xavier had preached about the Power of Resurrection:

1. How it brings life where there is Death
2. How it gives Living Hope to the fallen world
3. How it makes us a New Creation in Christ

Furthermore, this powerful message of the Power of Resurrection was interestingly summarised into 8 simple points:

1. We are no longer enslaved to sin.
2. We no longer serve the devil.
3. We no longer have to conform to the world.
4. We no longer have to be afraid of death.
5. We no longer have to be ashamed of ourselves.
6. We no longer have to be in sorrow.
7. We are no longer cursed.
8. We are no longer condemned.

It is always a blessing to know that our Lord’s grace is an endless invitation. There is hope for everyone.

Due to Covid-19, our Living Room Ministry went online, via Zoom, as 4 cluster groups.

We gather at 7.45 pm for praise and worship, followed by the bible study. As the lessons are now online, they are prepared differently to keep members engaged. We are currently studying the Obedient Christian series.

During the lesson, Revd Paul Xavier will share his screen with the questions prepared for the teaching and will proceed to breakout rooms for us to discuss our answers in groups of 4 or 5 within a time frame of 15-20 mins. After the discussion, we will be presenting our answers.

At the end of each lesson, we will be provided with some time to reflect and share what we have learnt from those chapters and how we can relate it to today’s context. We will then end the LRM meeting with a closing prayer by 9.45 pm.

Led by Revd Paul, we gathered at 8pm every Friday to pray together, with randomly selected individuals leading the prayer via prayer pointers. These pointers cover general areas that are of concern to our communities and nation. Some of the pointers were, giving thanks for the improving COVID-19 situation, blessing our healthcare workers and their families, and praying for a divine awakening amongst the migrant workers. We also prayed that church members would actively involve themselves in these online prayers and avenues, dedicate lives for God’s will and that God also bestows divine protection upon them.

From 14th February 2020, we have commenced our Youth Bible Study in a cell group setting. We have classified the youths into three different age groups:

1. age 13-19 (Teens),
2. age 20-27 (Youths) and
3. age 28-35 (Young Adults).

We gather every 2nd & 4th week, fortnightly at 7.45 pm.

The group reps will start the session with a couple of ice-breakers and lead into worship, followed by the bible study led by our facilitators, Bro Nathanael for the teens, Bro Anthony for the youths, and Bro Abraham for the young adults.

At the end of each lesson, we will reflect and share what we have learnt from the chapters covered and how we can relate it to today’s context. We will then end the cell group with a closing prayer by 9.45 pm. and proceed to a dinner fellowship provided at the houses. (Prior to COVID-19)