At Agape School, we take to heart the motto of the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum that we use, which states: “Reaching the World for Christ… One Child at a Time”, and that of Proverbs 22:6, to “train up these children”, not just academically, but more importantly, to love and serve the Lord so that when they leave us, they leave as disciples of Christ ready to serve others.

Dr. Mei Tan elaborates more on the ministry of the school.

The basis of how the Agape School is structured depends on the belief that because Christ
sacrificed all for us, we, therefore, have a duty to care for others who are in trying circumstances. We have an obligation to do our best to educate these children and to give them a strong foundation in Christian values.

Going back to the Bible, the source of all we believe in, we find the Gospel directives for this ministry. From speaking up for those who cannot (Prov. 31:8-9), to helping the needy (Heb 13:16), we are called to love those in our midst who have less. To that end, we have a God-given imperative to “love our neighbour” (Gal 5:14) and to “abound in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). We are further called to do it with our “whole being… for we are serving the Lord Christ” (Col 3:23-24).

Since St Mary’s adopted the Agape School in 2013, we have seen children come and go. Some are resettled to a third country, and some have returned to their home country. We now have children in Myanmar, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. One of them had this to say, “We didn’t understand why you were pushing us. But when we get resettled in another country, we have a much easier life because of the things that you taught us. We are doing great and we can live freely because of your prayer. Some may not have contacted you but you are always in our hearts and we won’t forget what you have taught us. We’ll always remember Agape School everywhere we go. We may be apart and live in different places, but we wereonce your children, and always will be…” We continue to pray for them, and especially, that they keep God at the centre of all they do.

An interesting development is how the school now acts as a hub within the community. We have been blessed by donations from concerned members of St Mary’s Cathedral and beyond. These include toys, clothes, baby paraphernalia, and even vegetables (we are partnered with The Lost Food Project). Anything that cannot be directly used at school is passed to needy families via our staff. This ministry touches not just the lives of our students, but also many others in the community.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to everyone in St Mary’s for their continued support in providing scholarships, donations, and for all the prayers.

As always, we depend on committed volunteers who are the linchpin of our school. They provide stability and are people the children come to rely on. If you feel that this is a ministry

that calls to you, please do not hesitate to call Dr Mei Tan at 012-3873408 ([email protected]).