Church Updates

Dear IBC,

After much prayerful consideration, our team will start implementing some changes in September, in line with the most recent announcement from the Singapore government. And we are so glad to say that everyone and anyone is welcome to worship with us!

We've prepared this short message for you to keep you updated, and also to ask for prayers for our upcoming staff retreat. All pastors, ministry heads, and admin ministry support will be away next week for a time of prayer, reflection, and participation in a mission project.

We look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday! Please continue reading the full details below and continue browsing through our website for more details on our worship services and other ministries.

With a grateful heart,

Pastor Rodney

Starting September 4, the following changes will be implemented.

First service at 9:00am will be fully on-site.

• If you're used to worshipping with us at the 9:00am service, please note that this service will no longer be live streamed. We look forward to seeing you on-site!

Second service will start at 11:00am, both on-site and online.

• Remember to set your alarms 30 minutes earlier!
• This service will continue to be live streamed. You may continue to worship with us via Online.Church, Facebook, or YouTube on Sunday morning (or anytime on demand).

Sanctuary's maximum seating capacity: 500. Second worship area now available.

• We would love to welcome everyone into our worship services on-site. To be able to do this, we would need to ensure that the maximum number of worshippers in the Sanctuary is 500.
• We have prepared a second worship area, as we've started to experience the attendance in our 11:00am service going over 500 this past weekend. Our welcome team is ready to usher you into this new space once the maximum capacity in the Sanctuary is reached.
• If you are not accompanying any child for Sunday School at 11:00am, we encourage you to join us for worship at the 9:00am service.

Children's Sunday School will be available to ALL kids at 11:00am (on-site only).

• There will be classes for all kids, from pre-school all the way to Grade 6! Pre-registration is no longer needed.
• All parents are reminded to proceed to Level 1, where the CSS admin table will be located starting this weekend.
• The Nursery on Level 1 will also be open for the 11:00am service, for children aged 6 months to 2 years. Please note that one parent will need to stay with his/her child.
• There will be no online classes for both the 9:00am and 11:00am services, as we take a pause on that and evaluate how to maximize online class engagement in the future.

The Gathering: our new and improved fellowship space

• We are ready to welcome you into a cozier space where we can continue connecting over coffee and tea. Newcomers, regular comers, old-timers—everyone is welcome to drop by before and after service, at the back of the Sanctuary!

Dear IBC,

We have recently concluded our series on the book of Galatians and this weekend, we will go into the book of Isaiah, where the prophet writes about a very distinct model of servanthood.

Below is a video on the background of Isaiah, which will be helpful in understanding the context and the contents of this book. We hope you can spare some time to go through it.

We would also like to remind you of some church updates to be implemented starting next Sunday, September 4th, which include a change in timing for the second service. Please continue scrolling down and watch Ps Rodney's video below for the full details.

Please expect a follow-up email from our team early next week, regarding the most recent developments about unmasking in church services, and visit ibcs.org for more details on our worship services, ministries, and programs. We look forward to worshipping with you tomorrow!

Be blessed,

Pastor Kwan

Another season begins at IBC! And we'd like to give you some updates which will start on the first Sunday of September:

Sunday Worship Services will be held at 9:00am and 11:00am.

• There is no change in the first service, but if you usually worship with us in the second service, please set your alarms 30 minutes earlier. Beginning September 4, the second service will start at 11:00am.

LIVE Online Worship Service will only be at the 11:00am service.

• Livestream will only be available for the 11:00am service. You may continue to worship with us via Online.Church, Facebook, or YouTube on Sunday mornings, or anytime on demand.
• If you would like to worship with us in the first service, which starts at 9:00am, we will see you in person at 81 King's Road.

On-site Children's Sunday School will be available to ALL kids at 11:00am.

• There will be classes for all kids, from pre-school all the way to Grade 6! And pre-registration will no longer be needed.
• The Nursery will also be open (for the 11:00am service only). Please note that one parent will need to be with his/her child.
• There will be no online classes at this time, as we take a pause on that and evaluate how to maximize online class engagement in the future.

The Gathering: our new and improved fellowship space

• As we welcome more of you on-site, we would also like to provide you with a better space for you to connect and chat with each other. Newcomers, regular comers, old-timers—everyone is welcome to drop by before and after service, at the hall next to the Sanctuary, or at the back!

We hope you're as excited as we are about these changes! Here's Ps Rodney for more details.

The weekend is here! And we are so excited to emphasize some developments, in line with the latest streamlining of Safe Management Measures, which took effect starting 15 March 2022:

1. Tickets and zones are no longer required for Sunday Worship Services

We are now able to return to full seating capacity for both our Sunday morning services in the Sanctuary. No need to book tickets and no more yellow chains! Singing is still not allowed, but you are free to worship the Lord in other ways!

2. Tickets are still required for Children's Sunday School and Youth Services

During this transition, our Children's Ministry teams are in the process of making the necessary adjustments in terms of logistics and manpower. As such, tickets are still required for children attending the on-site classes. You can book their tickets here.

Youth Services will continue to be ticketed until the end of March. Tickets will no longer be required starting April. Find out more on our Youth page.

3. Vaccination and SafeEntry protocols remain the same

Worshippers are still required to check-in using their TraceTogether app or token. Be ready to present yours as you enter IBC’s premises. Only vaccinated individuals will be able to attend our on-site services. For more information on this, please scroll down to our previous update on Vaccination-Differentiated Worship Services.

4. Masks on all the time 😷

Remember to keep your masks on! Safe distancing is encouraged, but no longer required.

With the easing of restrictions, we can welcome more of you back on-site, and we can't wait to worship with you in person! However, if, for any reason, you're unable to come on-site, you can still join us online. Either way, you always have a place with us!

Be blessed!

In line with the government guidelines on Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS), Jan 29, 2022 was our last Saturday service as we evaluate our needs as a church. We will give you more updates on this by April 2022.

There will be no changes to the schedule of our Sunday morning services. We'd like to remind all worshippers, however, that all our worship services are now compliant with the Singapore government's VDS.

Please note that only the following categories of individuals are allowed to enter the church premises or participate in activities where VDS are required:

1. Fully vaccinated*, i.e. has received the appropriate regimen of World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines (e.g. Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca-SKBio, Serum Institute of India, Janssen, Sinopharm, Sinovac-CoronaVac, and Covaxin and Novavax) and had their vaccination records ingested in MOH’s national IT systems.
2. Recovered from COVID-19, i.e. 180 days starting from the day of first positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result obtained in Singapore.
3. Children who are 12 years old and below, i.e. born in or after the year 2009 (from 1 March 2022, the concession for children will only be extended to those born in or after the year 2010), may be exempted** from VDS and can be included in a group of up to 5 persons for congregational and worship services as long as all the children in the group are from the same household. 

In addition, persons who are medically ineligible to receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and Sinovac/Sinopharm are eligible for the vaccination-differentiated SMMs.

Effective 01 January 2022, the concession for unvaccinated individuals to perform PET in lieu of being fully vaccinated has be removed. Only fully vaccinated, recovered, or medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 years and below (subject to venue/event specific caps) will be allowed to enter settings where VDS is implemented.

*From 14 February 2022, persons aged 18 years and above who have completed the COVID-19 primary vaccination series and are eligible for booster vaccination will be considered as fully vaccinated for 270 days (9 months) after their last dose in the primary vaccination series. Upon receiving their booster, they will continue to be considered as fully vaccinated beyond the 270 days. Please refer to the MOH Press Release on 5 January 2022.

**A grace period has been extended to children born in December 2009 to allow them sufficient time to get fully vaccinated. Children born in 2009 who will turn 13 in 2022 will need to be fully vaccinated to enter venues and participate in activities with VDS from 1 March 2022. Please refer to the MOH Press Release on 2 December 2021 for more details.

From 14 March 2022, persons aged 12 to 17 years who have completed their primary series of vaccines and are eligible for booster vaccination will similarly be considered fully vaccinated for only 270 days (9 months) after their last primary series dose, and will require a booster dose to maintain their vaccinated status thereafter. Please refer to the MOH Press Release on 21 January 2022 for more details.

For more information, please go to https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19-phase-advisory.

Dear IBC,

It has almost been a month since we announced the suspension of all on-site worship services and other in-person programs, in response to the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) guidelines.

As restrictions have started to ease with Singapore’s transition towards COVID-19 resilience, we are pleased to inform you that IBC will resume our on-site services on the weekend of August 28 and 29.

Each of our Sunday morning services will be able to accommodate up to 230 vaccinated* worshippers. The Saturday afternoon service will be for unvaccinated worshippers (50 pax max), with tighter safe management measures (SMMs) to protect this group and those around them. You can book your seats starting at 8pm on August 22.

In compliance with the SMMs for religious organizations (ROs) from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), we seek your help and cooperation in observing the following guidelines for our on-site services:

• Pre-registration - to ensure that we are well within our MCCY-approved capacity for each service, all on-site worshippers will need to book tickets and present them upon entry.
• TraceTogether (TT)-only SafeEntry - the TT app or token is required for check-in. Be ready to present yours as you enter IBC’s premises.
• Safe distancing - come early to help prevent crowding at the entrances. Gates will open 30 minutes early, and close 10 minutes prior to the start of each service, to ensure that all worshippers are safely ushered to their seats. Please follow the lead of our Welcome Team as you enter and leave IBC premises.
• Mask-on - all worshippers must wear a mask at all times. Young children are strongly encouraged to use a mask, as well.
• No singing - everyone is asked to refrain from singing and mingling within the church premises.

Other ministries, such as Connection Groups, Youth Services & Homegroups, and Children’s Sunday School will also transition back to meeting on-site or in-person, in the next few weeks. More details are shared below.

We look forward to more opportunities to worship and gather together, not only virtually, but also on-site and in person. See you soon!

Serving with you,

IBC COVID-19 Task Force

DETAILS ON IBC WORSHIP SERVICES AND OTHER CHURCH MINISTRIES

On-site Worship Services for vaccinated* and unvaccinated worshippers are scheduled as follows:

• Saturday, 5pm: 50 pax max (unvaccinnated)
• Sunday, 9am: 230 pax max (vaccinated*)
• Sunday, 11:30am: 230 pax max (vaccinated*)

You can continue worshipping with us LIVE online on Sunday mornings, or on-demand, via Online.Church, Facebook, or YouTube.

Personal Prayer Time with our pastors can be requested by emailing prayer@ibcs.org.

Youth Service will resume being on-site on Aug 28, and will be open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated youth worshippers aged 12-18 (50 pax max). Homegroups can start meeting in-person, provided that social gathering guidelines are observed. Further information will be shared by the Youth Team. For questions, please email youth@ibcs.org.

Children’s Sunday School will resume on-site classes on Sept 05. Students in Kindergarten (5-6 years old) to Grade 6 (12 years old) can continue to join the Online Sunday School classes via Zoom at 9:15am. Details on the resumption of On-site Sunday School classes will be sent in the next few weeks. Email children@ibcs.org to subscribe to their mailing list.

AWANA will resume on Sept 05 via Zoom, for students aged 6-18. Register by Aug 25.

Connection Groups are encouraged to continue meeting virtually. Groups that are planning to meet in person are reminded to observe the social gathering guidelines. You may get in touch with our Connection Groups ministry team by emailing connection@ibcs.org. 

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For more information and regular updates, please go to moh.gov.sg.

*An individual is considered vaccinated if he/ she has been: a) fully vaccinated, i.e. has received the full regimen of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnatry, Moderna or WHO EUL vaccines, with an additional two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective, b) recovered from COVID-19, or c) has obtained a negative result on a pre-event test taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event. Refer to https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/pet for more details. Children aged 12 years and below can participate in vaccinated-only worship services provided they make up no more than 20% of the total number of worshippers on-site.

Dear IBC,

This past week has been a challenging one for all of us, with the increase in community cases, heartbreaking news that made the headlines, and more personal challenges within our IBC family. We encourage everyone to continue having honest conversations with God, while being aware of the needs, and having the readiness to provide help wherever necessary—be it mental, spiritual, emotional or material support.

In support of the Singapore government’s move to return to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), and in response to the updated guidelines for Religious Organizations (ROs) issued by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), dated 20 July 2021, please be advised that all on-site services and other in-person programs have been suspended until further notice.

Despite our physical separation, we urge each one of you to take this opportunity to stay connected, even more so in the midst of these temporary restrictions. Call each other, pray for each other, encourage one another. You may also reach out to our pastors and other church leaders, who are all just one message or call away. Our Care Team is waiting to hear from you; email them at care@ibcs.org.

Let us continue to cling on to the Lord even when we cannot understand what’s happening around us. Let us choose to remember that He is still God, He still reigns, and He is good. We look forward to worshipping with you online on Sunday morning as Pastor Kwan concludes our sermon series on the book of Habakkuk. Until then, let this be our prayer:

"Even if the fig tree does not blossom,

And there is no fruit on the vines,

If the yield of the olive fails,

And the fields produce no food,

Even if the flock disappears from the fold,

And there are no cattle in the stalls,"

"Yet I will triumph in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."

"The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like deer’s feet,

And has me walk on my high places."

- Habakkuk 3:17-19

Serving with you,

IBC COVID-19 Task Force

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Details on IBC worship services and activities:

Worship Services will be fully online until further notice. We can continue worshipping together on Sundays at 9:00am or 11:30am via Online.Church, Facebook, or YouTube.

Prayer Zoom Room is an online private space where you can pray with one of our pastors at the end of our Sunday service. You can login through this link.

Youth Service & Homegroups will all be online. Further information will be shared by the Youth Team. For questions, please email youth@ibcs.org. 

Children’s Sunday School

Children in Kindergarten (5-6 years old) to Grade 6 (12 years old) can join the Online Sunday School classes via Zoom at 9:15am. Please email children@ibcs.org for any questions.

Connection Groups

All groups are highly encouraged to meet virtually. In-person gatherings are not advised. For more information, you may email connection@ibcs.org. 

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For more information and regular updates, please go to moh.gov.sg.

We're excited to resume our On-site Services on July 11th!

We will start with 50 worshippers per service and closely monitor the situation to ensure that our staff, volunteers and logistics are all ready to support the increase in seating capacity in the weeks to come.

Safe management measures will continue to be in place and we remind everyone to have the Trace Together (TT) token or app ready for check-in and check-out.

Registration for our Sunday 9:00am and 11:30am services will open on Sunday, July 4, at 8:00pm and you can book your seats through the link below.

While our Youth have resumed meeting in-person, we are still sorting out the logistics for our Children's Sunday School and will be sending out updates on this soon.

Meanwhile, please check our Youth and Children's ministry pages for more details on Youth Services and Homegroups, and Online Children's Sunday School.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to find ways for IBC to be a safe place of worship for all.

Serving with you,

IBC COVID-19 Task Force

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For more information and regular updates, please go to moh.gov.sg.

Dear IBC,

As you may have already heard, the Singapore government has released tighter restrictions to further reduce the risk of transmission in the community. In support of these measures to prioritize everyone’s well-being and safety, all IBC activities and worship services will now be held online with immediate effect, and until further notice.

This shift in our current situation keeps us distanced physically, but we encourage everyone to stay connected by maximizing the blessing of technology. Let us be more intentional in reaching out to our families and friends, and also to our IBC family.

Our pastors and other church leaders are all just one message or call away, and you may also reach out to our Care Team at care@ibcs.org.

Let us remain resilient and hopeful as we look to the Lord for endurance and strengthening of our faith. And as Pastor Rodney will share with us tomorrow, let us remember to keep our relationship with the Lord and with each other of utmost importance, no matter what circumstances we may be in. Let us remember that He is in control, and that as one body, we continue to journey together.

Let's hear it straight from Pastor Rodney:

Details on IBC worship services and activities:

WORSHIP SERVICES

All Sunday services will be online until further notice.

YOUTH SERVICES & HOMEGROUPS

All youth programs will be online. Further information will be shared by the Youth Team. For questions, please email youth@ibcs.org.

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL

On-site classes are suspended. Children in Kindergarten (5-6 years old) to Grade 6 (12 years old) can join the Online Sunday School classes via Zoom at 9:15am. Please email children@ibcs.org for any questions.

CONNECTION GROUPS

All groups are still highly encouraged to meet virtually. In-person gatherings are not advised. For more information, you may email connection@ibcs.org. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

All planned events in the next few weeks will also be held virtually. You may get in touch with the organizing ministries for further details:

• May 22: Work as Worship Retreat - email workasworship@ibcs.org

Further communication will be sent out separately to those who have registered for the Work as Worship Retreat.

• June 6: Annual Congregational Meeting - email enquiries@ibcs.org

These new measures will be implemented effective immediately and until further notice.

We look forward to worshipping with you online, but still, in spirit and in truth. 🙏🏼

Serving with you,

IBC COVID-19 Task Force

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For more information and regular updates, please go to moh.gov.sg.

Dear IBC,

This past weekend, Pastor Rodney led us in a time of prayer, lifting up to the Lord the current situation with the increase in COVID cases worldwide.

Here in Singapore, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) has released updated guidelines with tighter restrictions on social gatherings, workplaces, and events (including worship services) in order to reduce the risk of community transmission.

In support of the Singapore government during this period of heightened alert, and to do our part in helping keep our community safe, we have made the decision to hold all IBC activities online until end-May, with the exception of our worship services. 

WORSHIP SERVICES AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES

• Sunday Worship will continue to be on-site & online every Sunday at 9:00am & 11:30am 
• Youth Services will proceed on-site on May 8 & 22 at 5:00pm

To ensure that IBC continues to be a safe place for our worshippers, we request for your understanding and cooperation as we implement these additional measures:

1. Maximum seating will be capped at 100 pax per service. Registration opens every Sunday at 8:00pm. We encourage you to book your seat/s early.
2. Registration for Sunday, May 9, has been closed, but those who have already booked their tickets can proceed to worship with us on-site.
3. Gates will open 30 minutes early and close 10 minutes before the service starts to lessen the risk of congestion at the entrance, give ample time for our check-in process, and minimize movement in the Sanctuary once the service starts. Please come early.
4. Safe distancing will be strictly enforced upon entry and exit. Please observe a one-meter distance between you and the person in front of you and behind you.
5. Mandatory TraceTogether check-in will start on May 15. Kindly bring your TraceTogether token or ensure that the app is installed on your device.

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL

On-site classes are suspended. Children in Kindergarten (5-6 years old) to Grade 6 (12 years old) are encouraged to join the Online Sunday School classes via Zoom at 9:15am. Please email children@ibcs.org for any questions.

CONNECTION GROUPS

All groups are highly encouraged to meet virtually and refrain from in-person gatherings. For more information, you may email connection@ibcs.org. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

All planned events for the month of May will also be held virtually. You may get in touch with the organizing ministries for further details:

• May 8: Attending Skills - email care@ibcs.org
• May 30: Annual Congregational Meeting - email enquiries@ibcs.org 

These changes and new measures will be implemented effective immediately and will be in place until end-May.

Please continue to join us in prayers and be vigilant in observing all the necessary safety protocols so that we, as a church, can continue to worship together safely and responsibly.

Serving with you,

IBC COVID-19 Task Force

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For more information and regular updates, please go to moh.gov.sg.